The Thief That Stole His Heart
by FireTurnsToAsh
Summary: Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her? Brynjolf/OC
1. I: Preying On The Moonlight

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **I: Preying on the Moonlight**

* * *

The Ragged Flagon was alive with music and flowing with mead as Vekel passed around the finest banquet he had ever made; today they would feast like kings and queens, but tonight they would take advantage of the shadows and embark on a quest for a valuable heirloom. Luck was on their side now that Mercer was gone and with a leader as powerful and fearsome as Odin, nobody was going to mess with the Thieves Guild any more.

"Can you believe this lad," Brynjolf turned to the Dragonborn with a beaming smile, "even our little Vex is smiling."

"It's been very prosperous for us, Brynjolf. You should take some pride, you made this all happen." Odin turned to his best friend and gave him a nod. "If you hadn't have approached me, none of this would have happened."

"What can I say? I know a good thief when I see one."

"As do I, that's why I'm sending you to Windhelm to steal Ulfric Stormcloak's axe right from above his head. There's no better way to show our authority than to take the axe from under the true High King's nose."

"I know you're not one for politics lad, but are you sure you want to make a statement like that?"

"The only thing I care about is showing Skyrim that the Guild is back for good." Odin got onto his feet, grabbing a plateful of food and a cup of mead. "Take Vex with you, divines know she needs out of this Ratway."

Brynjolf nodded in agreement and glanced at Vex as her smile faded while Delvin tried his best to get her attention. "Come on Vex, we've got a job to do."

* * *

As a war against the Empire raged on, the virtually empty palace was the perfect place to hit; minimum security while the guards were off fighting in Whiterun and Ulfric, well hopefully he would be closer to the front lines. Brynjolf wasn't eager to test the power of the Stormcloak leader's voice.

He kept a look out, keeping his eyes glued to the dirty, frozen city while Vex put her talents to good use. The heavy iron doors were locked for a change and they were hard locks to pick, but Vex was an expert. With a click of the latch, Vex swung the door open smugly and pulled Brynjolf out of the cold. Once they were certain that the palace was abandoned, they stood up straight and investigated rooms hoping to find the war axe before they were discovered.

Their luck was starting to run out, there was no sign of the axe anywhere. Perhaps Odin sent them on a wild goose chase or maybe Ulfric decided to wield his favoured axe in battle. Whatever the case was, no axe was to be found.

"Give up Bryn, the axe isn't here." Vex said lowly as she leaned against the wooden doorframe, watching Brynjolf as he searched through every chest and cupboard in the room.

"Odin wouldn't send us here if the axe isn't in the palace." He glanced over his shoulder at her as he stuck his arm into a deep chest. "Are you just going to stand there and watch me, lass?"

"What would you have me do, magic the axe out of thin air?" her tone was sarcastic as she waved her arms around. "Or perhaps I should wait for Ulfric to come back here so I can plead him to hand it over?" she dropped her arms back to her side and sighed exhaustedly. "Let's just get out of here, I'm tired and we have a long walk back to Riften."

Brynjolf slammed the lid of the chest shut, knowing Vex was right was one thing but he wasn't going to admit it. He just had to taste the sour flavour of defeat. "Let's get out of here before we both lose our heads."

* * *

As they made their way back into the main hallway of the palace, they noticed something shining in their eyes, reflecting the moonlight onto their faces. They stood and watched as the axe's blade taunted them but it was moving in thin air.

"You're seeing this, aren't you Vex?"

"Someone's messing with us," she unsheathed her dagger, hoping for a fight, "show yourself, if you think you're brave enough."

"I would suggest that you lower your dagger, unless you wish to lose your life." The voice was female and coming from the throne at the end of the room. "You have until the count of three to put that blunt dagger away or I'll send you both to Oblivion."

Brynjolf turned to Vex as she dared the invisible being to make a move. "Vex, put the blade away." He commanded with a growl.

"I can take her on."

"Let's not test that theory. Put it down, I'm your superior in this quest."

She stared up at him with a glare that was as sharp as her dagger but gave into him, putting it back in its sheath.

"Smart choice," the woman said with a slight laugh, "how about we talk this out like the honourable thieves we are."

"We'll talk when we can see who we're talking to." Brynjolf tried to sound like an authority figure, but it only made the woman laugh at him mockingly.

The woman revealed herself, lounging on the throne with the axe in her hand as if she was modelling it. Her face was covered by a cowl but from the attire she was wearing, it looked as if it was a mage's robe mixed with armour. She played with a fireball as she watched them, the two thieves could just about see a white smirk from the shadows as she pulled her cowl down a little lower.

"Who are you?" Brynjolf tried to take a step closer but the woman raised her finger, warning him to stop.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." She sniggered a little and she got onto her feet. "I guess I'm the new enemy of the Thieves Guild. Did I just declare war?"

"I think you just sign your death warrant." Vex went to grab her dagger but before she could, a low-level fireball skimmed past her hand and hit the iron doors.

"Send my regards to Mercer for me." The woman said smugly, but it was short lived.

"Mercer's dead, he's been dead for a year now." Brynjolf informed, a brow raised.

"What? That's not possible." The smirk faded into the shadows again and the woman shook her head, her voice became more upset. "No matter, send my regards to the Guild."

* * *

Before the thieves could say anything else, the woman was gone along with the axe. Vex looked at Brynjolf with a scowl but he was at a loss for words; how was he going to tell Odin about this and who was this mystery woman. A victim to crime or an ex Guild member looking for revenge?

"What are we going to say to Odin, he's going to be furious that we left without the axe." Vex complained as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Let's think about that later, for now we need to get out of this palace before Ulfric Stormcloak shows up."

The two thieves feared telling their guild master that they had failed, but what else were they to do? If there was anyone that would be able to find answers about that mystery thief, it was the Dragonborn.

* * *

Brynjolf sent Vex to her sleeping quarters and took the heavy burden of informing Odin about their failure; he hoped that out of the two of them, he would be more forgiving to Brynjolf, after all he was the one that introduced him to this life.

Odin was a strong, Nord man with shoulder length, blonde hair. He was the picture of a true warrior of Skyrim, everything that Ulfric envisioned the perfect Stormcloak rebel to be; but that wasn't the path Odin wanted to travel. For such a heavy and bulky man, he knew how to remain undetected and use the shadows to his advantage.

"Brynjolf, I'm surprised to see you back so early." He raised a brow at his friend and shook his head. "Is something wrong, Brynjolf? You look as if you saw the ghost of Ysgramor."

"I'm fine, lad I just have something to say to you." Brynjolf cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he tried to find the words.

"Did something happen to Vex? Spit it out, Bryn." He said impatiently.

"We didn't get the axe… Someone beat us to the punch." He blurted out, sighing to himself straight after. He was disappointed in himself, he didn't need his friend to be disappointed in him too. "It was like she knew we were going to be targeting the axe."

"That's preposterous!" he cried out, banging his fist on to the table. "Only two people knew of this plan, I was one of them…"

"And who was the other, lad? Perhaps we can find this rat together."

Odin looked across the table at his friend and pushed the black hood from his head. "There's a problem with that, you see the other person who knew is dead. Mercer created the plan, I just found it a few days ago, and kept it to myself." He began to pace behind the table, his hands gripped behind his back as he tried to work out what was going on.

"Did you tell your wife of what you were planning to do?"

"Ysolda wouldn't say anything to anyone, besides I just said that I kept it to myself. This has something to do with Mercer, but I know that he's dead. I dealt the final blow that ended his miserable life. Maybe he had been in contact with this mysterious thief just before his death. Or perhaps she wants revenge on the Guild for betraying him?"

"It seemed like she didn't even know that he was dead, she told me to send her regards to Mercer."

Odin's eyes lit up ever so slightly and a smile crept onto his face. "Then she's an enemy of Mercer Frey and not the Guild. We could recruit her, make this Guild even stronger." He sat on his seat behind the table and leaned on his arm as he watched Brynjolf watch him. "Tell me everything you know about this thief."

"She's a female, possibly some sort of mage. Her armour did look like it was crafted from a light ebony chain mail mixed with apprentice robes."

"A mage… I have a few contacts in the College of Winterhold. I'll make the journey there in the morning and try to find out what's going on once and for all. For now, Brynjolf, I think you should get some rest. You've earned it."

* * *

Brynjolf nodded in thanks and slipped out of the room, heading towards the living quarters of the Ragged Flagon. Vex was leaning against the wall, eagerly waiting news from her friend. She stepped over to him with her hands on her hips and raised a brow.

"Well, how did he take the news?"

"Better than I expected lass, he's going to take a trip up to Winterhold and see if the College can give him any information. I just hope this trip to Windhelm didn't bite him on the ass."

"Only time will tell. Do you fancy a drink before you head back to your room?" she looked a little optimistic, eyes twinkling up at him. She always had a soft spot for Brynjolf.

"Not tonight, lass. I need some rest. Perhaps another time." He smiled sympathetically at her and retired to his room, shutting the door behind him and locking it with his key.

Brynjolf was embarrassed, it was the first time he had ever failed a mission for the Guild and he took it harder than he ever expected to. Whoever did this, if they were found, better have a good explanation.


	2. II: Quick Getaway

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **II: Quick Getaway**

* * *

It had been a while since Odin had set foot in the College of Winterhold, he never really had the skill to be a mage but the College helped him when it came to defeating Alduin. He stepped into the Hall of Elements and approached the Arch Mage who was stood with a young mage in front of a large, blue orb. When he got close to the two of them, Savos Aren turned to him with a bewildered look. He barely remembered him and in his Thieves Guild armour, his appearance struck the slightest bit of fear into him.

"The College has done nothing to attract your kind here, thief."

"Don't you remember me Savos? It's the Dragonborn, Odin." He flashed his brilliant smile at him and placed a hand on the old dark elf's shoulder.

"Odin, it's been a while. Are you finally ready to hit the books and learn a bit of magic?" he sounded hopeful, by the looks of the College it was rather empty.

"I'm here on a business call actually. I have a few questions I want to ask you, if you don't mind."

Savos turned to the mage beside him and waved her away then turned back to Odin and led him towards his quarters. "When I heard that you turned to the Thieves Guild, I was rather disappointed. You had so much potential."

"I was never really interested in magic, whether I had the ability or not; but the rush of taking something that doesn't belong to you is something I've always chased. I'm sorry if the Dragonborn didn't live up to your expectations."

* * *

Savos glanced at him over his shoulder and simply smiled as he took him into the place he called home. The Arch Mage's Quarters was like a different land altogether packed into a tiny space. Every ingredient imaginable grew in the centre of the room as if the room was the tundras of Skyrim. He had a few books locked away in a display case and a few bits and pieces that Odin assumed were the essentials for a man of Savos' skill.

"What did you wish to speak to me about?" Savos said as he took a seat, watching the young man as he sat in front of him.

"The Guild has run into a problem with a mage, I was hoping to find out if she was a student here."

"What has she done?"

"She stole something that we had claimed for ourselves."

Savos Aren shook his head and crossed his arms. "No mage of the College has left to become a thief. All of our mages thrive here and become teachers to new pupils."

"Has anyone at all left the College to become something else?"

"Apart from you, no. I'm sorry I can't be of any more help to you but I hope your situation becomes better." Savos got out of his seat and waved Odin towards the door. "If you ever change your mind about the College, we'd be happy to see you return."

"I wouldn't hold your breath, I'm right where I want to be, but thanks for your help."

* * *

Odin walked along the quiet corridor but stopped when he saw the glint of the axe's blade in the sunlight. He followed the light that it omitted until he came to a dead end. He looked around him furiously, he hated being taunted.

"Whoever's there, show yourself."

"So, you're the new Guild master?" a voice called out. "You're the one that replaced Mercer?"

"I am the Dragonborn and one of the best thieves that the Guild has ever recruited."

"You're very arrogant for someone that lost their axe."

"How about you show your face and then we can talk about this lost axe of mine together."

"Why would I do that? You'll probably kill me the first chance you get."

"We live by a code, don't we? We don't make things messy in the Guild." Odin folded his arms across his chest. "It's you that I should be worried about, you have no loyalties. You're going to be the one that kills me when the opportunity strikes."

"You don't need to worry about me, I've had my fun. Besides, you're the Dragonborn; how could I kill you?" She dropped her invisibility spell, revealing herself to the master of the Thieves Guild.

Odin stared at the Breton woman with the long brunette hair. He had never saw her before but Brynjolf was right, her armour did have mage influences.

"What's your name?"

"Elsie The Fearless, and trust me, I am fearless." She smirked as she presented the axe to Odin. "Take the axe as a gesture of good faith; faith that you won't target me."

Odin looked over the axe and glanced up at the woman who was starting to walk away. "Elsie, I have a proposition for you."

"When I want to join the Guild, I'll find you." She disappeared once more into thin air, like a ghost.

Her disappearing act was so sudden, and she left Odin with so many unanswered questions, but he believed that she would keep true to her word. There would come a time when she would want to join them, every thief wanted people to fall back on.

* * *

The Guild waited with baited breath, Brynjolf more so than the others. Odin presented the axe and sighed as he took a seat. Brynjolf took the chair across from him and glanced at the shadows of Vex and Delvin as they loomed over him.

"Well, did you find her?"

"Please tell me you stuck a dagger in her side."

"She wasn't a part of the college, but I ran into her in one of the hallways. I offered her a place here, but I don't think she was interested. Her name is Elsie and she's a Breton so that's where her magic comes from. She's no enemy of ours." Odin waved Vekel over and waited impatiently for his drink. He downed the mead quickly and slammed the cup down.

"Why would you offer her a place here? She obviously wouldn't fit in." Vex said angrily.

"Calm down, Vex. Don't be blinded by your anger; she's obviously a great thief if she was able to steal the axe in the first place." Delvin reminded her cautiously.

"That's not the point. She asked us herself if she declared war against us and the answer is a clear yes."

"Listen lass, Odin knows exactly what he's talking about. Besides, he said that she's not an enemy to the Guild." Brynjolf turned to his leader and watched him as he stared off into the distance. "What are you thinking about?"

"She has to have a connection to the Guild, she knew about our plan and it seemed like she wanted to get under Mercer's skin. When she found out he was dead she approached me and returned the axe… It just doesn't make sense."

"When she joins us, she can explain that for herself." He got onto his feet and shooed Delvin and Vex away from the table. "If you want, I'll try to recruit her one last time."

"Thing is, we have no idea where to start looking for her."

"I think I know where to start, what do you say lad?"

"Fine, see if you can get her to join us and if you can't then she's against us."

Brynjolf nodded once at him and handed him another drink. "I'll have her in our ranks in no time."

* * *

The one place he thought of was Mercer's old home. It had been abandoned since he died and even before his demise; he always spent his time in the cistern coming up with ways to get rich quick. Brynjolf had the key to his home but he didn't need it; he was right about her whereabouts and she was inside. He came face to face with the Guild's tormenter and as he closed the door behind him, she launched a fireball at him, skimming him by millimetres and it the wall beside the door.

"I just want to talk."

"And I don't really feel like listening." She folded her arms across her chest. "How did you know that I was going to be here?"

"I put two and two together although I don't know the whole story." He waved towards a chair and raised a brow. "May I?"

She nodded and joined him in taking a seat. She stared at him with a sour look on her face and tucked her dark hair behind her ear. "So, talk."

"I take it you get lonely in here, it's a big house and it seems like you're the only one here."

"The only company I like to keep is my own."

"That must be exhausting, constantly looking over your own shoulder instead of having a Guild to watch your back for you."

"I've looked after myself for long enough, did you really think that you'd get me to join the Guild with the promise of friends?" she smirked at him and shook her head.

"Then what about the promise of coin?"

"I know your outfit has been having bad luck."

"Things are changing, Mercer bled us dry and Odin, he's been making quite the profit."

"Good for him."

"What's stopping you from joining us? You could really help us out and we could help you."

She thought for a moment, weighing up her pros and cons but she really wasn't coming up with a downside to his offer. Her stubbornness got her into so many messes before and she wasn't going to let it get her in trouble again. Having someone looking out for her could work out in her favour.

"Fine, I'll join your silly little Guild, on one condition."

"Name your price."

"I want all of Mercer's old things."

"What is your obsession with Mercer?"

"We're not friends and I don't trust you yet. It's my business and mine alone."

"I'll speak with Odin, I'm sure he's not going to disagree."

She leaned back in her chair and rested her hands on the back of her head. "Then I'll see you in the Ragged Flagon in the morning."

"You're not going to regret this, lass." Brynjolf got onto his feet and stepped towards the door. "Trust me on that."

"I only trust action, so we'll see."

* * *

The morning came quickly and Brynjolf woke up in his bed with Odin standing over him, a smirk on his face and a glimmer of hope in his eye. He got up quickly and dressed himself in his armour.

"What time is it?"

"Does it matter? She's here." Odin said excitedly. He couldn't help but think about how rich they were about to become.

"Elsie?"

"Who else? Get yourself ready and meet us in the Flagon." He patted him heavily on the shoulder before he walked away from his friend. "Good job, by the way."

When he stepped into the Flagon, he saw her sitting at a table with the rest of the Guild around her, all except Vex; she was leaning against the wall with the same unimpressed look that she adorned every day. Delvin couldn't help himself and managed to secure a seat right beside the Guild's newest asset. Elsie looked at Brynjolf and flashed him a fleeting smirk before she turned to Odin.

"I'm ready for whatever job you can throw my way, you see I was promised that you could make me rich and I plan on being very, very wealthy." She rested her head on her hand and stared at the Dragonborn.

"We can make you rich, but you have to go through your training, just as everyone has. I don't want you to botch a job and have our Guild's reputation drawn through the mud, again."

"Training? I probably have more years' experience in this line of work than you. I mean, I was able to get Ulfric's axe solo when you sent two of your highest members."

"She has a point, boss," Delvin started, he was clearly trying to win Elsie's favour, "she does have the skill."

"An invisibility spell is the easy way out," Brynjolf spoke up, making everyone look at him, "a real thief can blend into the shadows, the best thieves are the shadows."

"I say we send Elsie out on a task, no invisibility and no magic. If you succeed, then you're in."

"I thought I was already in?"

"Did you really think it was going to be that easy? You want this, then you earn it just like I did."

"Go on lass, prove yourself." Brynjolf was almost daring her as he returned the smirk that she had gave him as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Fine, I'll do your silly little task. What is it?"

"I want you to go to the treasury house in Markarth, there's quite a bit of loot there that can be useful to the Guild; enchanted weapons and a fair bit of gold. If you can go in, without killing anyone and acquire this then you're in. What do you say?"

"It'll be a piece of cake," she said smugly as she leaned back in her chair, "the loot is as good as yours."

"I'm glad to hear it, Brynjolf will be accompanying you to make sure you display your skill instead of your magic."

She tied up her brunette hair and glanced over at Brynjolf. "Fine, we'll leave now." She said through gritted teeth.

"I expect to see you two soon with the loot in your possession. Good luck."

* * *

They walked towards the Riften stables in silence and Brynjolf was able to sense the tension between the two of them. Elsie was obviously angered that she had to be babysat on her first quest, but she needed to prove that she had the skill. Cloak and daggers weren't going to cut it. He handed a note to the stable boy and waited for their horses. When he looked at her, she had her arms folded across her chest and her cowl around her face, from the shadows around her face, he could see a scowl. He couldn't help but laugh to himself quietly.

"You think this is funny?" she snapped. "Because I don't."

"Oh, come on, lass, what did you expect Odin to do? If he sent you to Markarth by yourself, you would've used your magic and pretended like you hadn't."

"I don't lie, there's nothing I hate more than lies." Her statement trailed off when she saw the stable boy return with two horses. "Why is there two?"

"It's what the note said." He replied. "What's the matter? Scared of horses?" Brynjolf tied his satchel to the saddle of the horse and mounted it easily.

"No, I just never learned how to ride."

"Who doesn't know how to ride a horse in Skyrim?" he shared a grin with the stable boy as the young boy tried not to laugh at Elsie.

"I don't come from Skyrim," she placed her hands on her hips, "and when I had to get around this country, I take the carriage."

Brynjolf looked away from her and nodded to himself. "Looks like you'll be ridding with me, lass. Hop on."

She sighed and climbed onto the horse, crossing her arms again once she was comfortable on the saddle. "I don't see why we couldn't take the carriage." She grumbled to herself.

"You're going to have to put your arms around me, or you're going to fall off."

She tutted and wrapped her arms reluctantly around Brynjolf's waist. "This is so stupid."

"I'll teach you how to ride so that you never have to be put in this predicament again."

* * *

They made their way out of Riften and started on the main road to the stone city. Brynjolf was enjoying the crisp air and the twinkling stars, Elsie on the other hand was loathing every minute of her journey. The longer their journey went, the more uncomfortable she got on the horse. She was tempted to sleep, but that would mean having to rest her head on her partner and she wasn't that friendly with him.

"Are we going to stop anywhere to get some sleep?"

"Once we do what we're sent to do and safely out of the city, we'll find an inn in a neighbouring village."

"But that'll be in a day or two."

"You're going to have to get used to this way of life. You can sleep on me if you want, lass, you haven't really been great company."

She shook her head and stared at the back of his head. "That's a pass, I know you want us to be friends by the end of this, but I don't see that happening."

"Why are you so hostile?" he glanced over his shoulder at her and caught her eye, making her look away.

"We're not there yet in our relationship. I don't feel like opening up."

"You know the more you hold back, the harder it'll be to mesh with the Guild." He went quiet for a moment. "You mentioned that you're not from Skyrim earlier, so where are you from?"

"High Rock, can you not tell? I come from a small village outside Daggerfall."

"Do you miss your homeland?"

"Not one bit. High Rock brought me nothing but misery and grief." She readjusted herself on the saddle and loosened her grip on Brynjolf. "I know that I come off as a bit distant, but I have my reasons."

* * *

The tension that Brynjolf had felt between them seemed to have shifted slightly. It was still there, but it wasn't as heavy as what it was. Opening up slightly about her past had obviously upset her and he didn't want to throw her into the deep end when she was in this mood.

"There's an inn up here, we'll stop for the night and continue the journey in the morning."

"Great, my legs are aching."

"We're coming up to the town of Riverwood, there's an inn here. It'll have to do."

"As long as I have a bed, I'll be happy."

The Sleeping Giant Inn was quite busy, and the mead was flowing. Brynjolf and Elsie stepped in and walked up to the innkeeper and waited for him to approach them. She couldn't help but relax as she listened to the bard play his lute and sing his song to anyone who would listen; she always had a soft spot for music.

"Can we have two rooms, please?" Brynjolf asked as he set some gold in front of the innkeeper.

"We only have the one, as you can see, we're busy."

"Only one room?" Elsie said as she placed her hands on the desk. "We need two, one each."

"Lovers quarrel?" Orgnar teased as he handed back half the gold. "I can only give you the one."

"We'll take it." He placed the rest of the gold into his coin purse and followed Orgnar to the room.

Elsie followed, dragging her heels a little as she stepped into the room with the double bed.

"Feel free to join the rest of our guests for some mead."

"Thanks, lad." Brynjolf shot him a smile as he closed the door and turned to Elsie. "What's with your face?"

"We are not sharing a bed."

He sat on the edge of the sturdy bed and took off his boots. "You're free to take the floor if you wish."

"Excuse me?"

"You can either share the bed and grow up or take the floor. Your choice." He started to remove his armour, letting out a relieved breath as the weight left his chest.

"Fine, but don't look." She turned her back on him and shook the boots off her feet first and then took off her cuirass.

He couldn't help himself but take a quick look at her before he lay down, keeping his back to her. He sniggered to himself as she mumbled curses under her breath before getting into the bed. She kept her back to him and wrapped the blanket around her frame.

"At first light, we'll head off to Markarth, hopefully make it there by tomorrow night."

"Sounds good to me."

"Try to get some sleep, you're not going to get another chance until we're back in Riften."

"I'll make every hour count." She paused briefly and let out a sigh. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, lass."


	3. III: For The Love of Gold

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **III: For the Love of Gold**

* * *

She was so comfortable when she woke up, the aches in her legs were gone and she felt so well rested. Elsie opened her eyes to see herself face to face with Brynjolf; he was still in a deep slumber. She watched him as he slept and shook her emotions out of her head; she felt like she was starting to develop a liking towards him, but she put that down to the loneliness that she had always felt. He was just the first person she had spent any time with. But, she couldn't help but notice the way his skin looked under the beam of light from the window or the small smirk that crossed his lips as he dreamt. She rolled onto her other side and stared down at her armour on the floor. A true test of her sneaking abilities would be getting out of the bed and getting dressed without waking him. But before she could even try, he woke up abruptly and sat up. She peered over her shoulder at him and smiled slightly when they made eye contact.

"Sleep well?" he asked tiredly.

"Like a baby. How about you?"

"On and off. I'll get dressed first and step out of the room; let you get dressed in privacy." He placed his feet on the cold stone floor and picked up his bits of armour.

She sat up and kept the blanket wrapped around her breastbone as she watched the muscles in his back move as he pulled his trousers on. "How far is Markarth from here?"

"A fair bit away, we'll be keeping to the main roads to avoid the Forsworn so there'll be no shortcuts." He stood up and fixed his armour into place, glancing at her. "I'll leave you to it, I'll get supplies for the road."

"I'll be out soon." She waited for the door to close before she placed her armour onto her tiny frame. She shook the dirty thoughts of Brynjolf from her mind and sighed as she stepped out of the rented room. She had no intentions of falling for anyone but a part of her yearned for it; it was stupid of her to want it, the marriage between her parents ended before she was born, to her it should've been a warning.

* * *

Brynjolf was readying the horse when she left the inn. He helped her onto the horse before he got on and left the village in a dash. They had to get to Markarth before nightfall, he didn't fancy fighting off bandits or those damned Forsworn. If his horse could keep up with his expectations, then they would be at Markarth before dark. The young thief tried her best to keep a hold of Brynjolf but the way the horse was galloping, she found it hard to keep a grip.

"Brynjolf." She said as a warning, hoping he would slow down so that her fall wouldn't be so hard, but he didn't. Instead, she tumbled off the horse and plummeted to the ground, landing on her side.

He stopped the horse, skidding to a halt and leapt from it, running to her side. He kneeled beside her and looked over her, noticing some blood oozing from her armour. "You're hurt."

"It's just a bit of blood." She kept her hand at her side and looked up at him, noting the concern that was written all over his face. "I've no broken bones, just a nasty gash. I can heal myself." Elsie got onto her feet shakily and balled her hand into her fist before casting her restoration spell. "Give me a minute, I'll be okay." She reassured with a small smile, but he didn't leave her side until she finished healing.

"Are we good to go?"

She nodded and dusted herself off. "Yeah, good to go."

"Next time, if you're going to lose your grip, give me a better head's up. Okay, lass?" he shook his red hair from his face and turned back to the horse. She scared him, he thought she was severely injured. That wouldn't have gone down well with Odin. Their newest asset out of action for a few weeks? That would've been awful luck.

* * *

Markarth hadn't changed at all since the last time Elsie was here. This city was the first she came to after crossing the border between High Rock and Skyrim; it held a special place in her heart. She used to be sweet on a guy from here, he was a mercenary for hire, offered to get her to Riften in one piece; but she wanted Vorstag for other reasons. It was his voice that got her and as she walked past the Silver-Blood inn, she couldn't help but look to see if he was out getting some air. He wasn't. He was probably off on a great adventure with someone who had the coin. She sighed to herself and peered at the back of Brynjolf's head; her view of him was a welcomed distraction but she quickly looked away when he stopped outside the treasury house.

"Do you know what a shadow mark is?" he asked pointedly.

"Of course, I've read Delvin's book. He gave me a copy before we left." She folded her arms across her chest and raised her brow at him. "Are you going to quiz me?"

"Very well," Brynjolf pointed at the shadow mark by the door of the treasury and half-grinned at her, "what does this mean?"

"Oh, I know this one," she pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to remember what the mark meant, "loot, there's a lot of loot inside."

"Colour me impressed, lass. Now, pick the lock and let's get started, shall we?"

She crouched down in front of the door and glanced up at him. "Keep a look out for me, shouldn't take me long to get this open." It took her a matter of seconds to get the door unlocked and she looked up at him with an arrogant smile. "Ta-dah."

"Let's not get too cocky now, remember, you're not using your little invisibility spells tonight."

"Don't worry, I'll be as quiet as a mouse." She opened the door and stepped inside, still standing up straight and not even attempting to sneak. She usually didn't have to, she forgot that she was still visible.

* * *

Brynjolf pressed her against the wall and kept his index finger to his lip, furrowing his brow at her. "Stay quiet and stay close to the ground. And by Shor's bones, stick to the shadows." He whispered angrily as he moved his body away from her. He watched her as she got into position and motioned for her to follow his lead.

There was a woman at the reception area of the treasury, it was surprising considering trading hours were done. Brynjolf could tell by her face that she was exhausted, and it would only be a matter of time before she went on some sort of a break. Their prize was right behind her and she had plenty of lighting around her, so they couldn't even cling to the darkness. She stopped leaning on the desk and slowly made her way to the back of the treasury, picking up a tankard of mead as she went past. It was their only chance to get the loot and go.

This lock was a lot harder to pick; she had already broken a couple and with the pressure that Brynjolf was putting on her, it made her hands shake out of nervousness. If she was wanting the information on Mercer Frey, she was going to have to be in the Guild and she couldn't risk botching a job for them. When she heard the click of the lock, she breathed a sigh of relief and started to pick the lock of the safe while Brynjolf stashed the ingots of silver into his satchel.

"Take your time, relax." He whispered as he watched her from the corner of his eye.

"I've almost got it." She opened the safe with a smile and lifted the gold, the jewels and the weapons before closing everything back over. "Let's get out of here."

"I couldn't agree with you more, hey, how about we get a cup of mead before we head out on the road again," he said as they made their way out quietly, "just to celebrate a job well done."

"Only one though, I don't want you getting too drunk and getting us lost." She stood up straight once they were outside and turned to him with a grin. "Besides, I can't wait to show Odin the loot; I did tell him it was a good as his."

"Alright, lass I'll let you have that one. I'll buy us the round."

* * *

The Silver-Blood inn was lively, a bard sang hymns of the Dragonborn, their Guild master, and the bar flies chattered merrily amongst themselves. Brynjolf followed Elsie into the inn and watched her as she trotted over to the bar confidently and place their order of the finest mead. He couldn't help but laugh to himself as he watched her lean on the bar, her legs crossed and locked and a superior look on her face. This mission didn't ruffle her feathers one bit, even without her magic she was an accomplished thief. Odin would be impressed. She handed him a full tankard and nodded towards the man behind the bar.

"Pay the nice barkeep, would you, Brynjolf?" she smiled as she stepped past him and took a well-deserved gulp.

He handed the barkeep a small coin purse and lead Elsie towards a table in the corner of the inn. "I must say, I'm impressed by you. I thought that without your magic that I would've had to bail you out of trouble."

"I've been at this game for a long time, I've spent most of my life picking pockets and taking things that didn't belong to me. The magic was just a bonus." She took a sip of her mead and looked around the room as if she was expecting someone. "The magic has always coursed through my veins, it's part of my Breton heritage."

"And how long have you been doing magic, lass?"

"Almost as long as I've been stealing." She could feel herself starting to relax around Brynjolf, but she was giving too much of herself away. She wasn't with the Guild to make friends, she wanted money and Mercer's things. "I need some air." She got up and stormed out of the inn, leaving Brynjolf confused.

* * *

The city was pretty quiet, mainly because most of the residents were either in bed or drinking in the inn. She stepped away from the inn and placed her hands on her hips. She was starting the feel the lull of the mead take it's affect on her and she knew that she was going to end up spilling some of her secrets to Brynjolf if she didn't sober up. Elsie closed her eyes as she took the cold air into her lungs and let the memories of her past slip back into the vault of her mind. It was easy to do, until she heard the voice of the man she was looking for when she first came back to the city.

"Elsie? Is that you?"

She opened her eyes and laid eyes on the only man she ever loved. "Vorstag, I didn't think I was going to run into you."

"I live here, you're the one that doesn't." he looked over her attire and scoffed at her. "I see you're still a sneak thief."

She smiled shyly at him and shook her head. "You know that this life is the only life I know."

"You know that you were destined for so much better." He shook his head and stepped towards her. "We could've had a good life together, you and I against the world…" he trailed off as he stared into her eyes, noting how drawn into him she was.

"There's still a chance." She whispered.

He placed a hand on her cheek and shook his head. "You made sure that there was no chance when you bed me and stole my coin." He let go of her and folded his arms across his chest. He knew that he would be sucked back into her life if he wasn't harsh with her; she had that effect on men. It had to be her light grey eyes that contrasted with her dark hair. Or perhaps it was her pretty face. "I was good to you, Elsie. You say you're fearless, but you feared love."

"I did love you, I just loved the gold more. I can change, I will change."

"No, not for me you won't. You can promise that to some other poor fool that gives you the light of day. I'm glad I ran into you, I've been burdened with these thoughts since the day you left Markarth and now I'm finally free of you. Goodbye Elsie, please don't come back." He stepped towards the inn, glancing at Brynjolf as he passed.

Brynjolf caught most of the conversation and couldn't help but feel sorry for Elsie. He knew nothing of her past but by the way she cried in the middle of the city, he knew that she loved that man once, she probably still did. He put his arm around her shoulders and watched as she crumbled into him, her sobbing becoming heavier by the moment.

"Let's get you home, lass."

* * *

The journey back to Riften was long but Elsie missed most of it. She cried herself to sleep and slept on Brynjolf's back. It surprised her, he didn't wake her up and he didn't disturb her. Instead he let her sleep until they had got back to the stables at Riften. She slid off the horse and waited for Brynjolf by the gates. She felt awkward around him; she had made it her own personal rule to not get to close to anyone, it had always worked out so poorly, just like it did with sweet Vorstag. When he approached the gates, she gripped him by the forearm and stared up at him coldly.

"I need to speak to you before we head back to the others."

"What is it?"

"I want you to know that I appreciate you letting me sleep on the way back here, but just because I shared a bed with you and cried on your shoulder… It doesn't make us friends and I still don't trust you." She placed her hands on her hips and shifted her weight as she waited for a tongue thrashing from Brynjolf, but she didn't get one.

"I was under no illusion that we were friends. I just tried to do right by you, lass, but I can see that whatever has gone on in your past has made you cold and heartless. If you don't want to be friends, that's fine by me, but you're going to be rewarded with Mercer's things which is what you wanted but if you're going to stay in this outfit, you have to remember that we look at each other, not as colleagues but as family and we have to know if you're going to have our back or not. And if you do stay, just know that I am your superior and I expect to be treated with respect. Have I made myself clear, lass?"

His voice remained calm as he spoke to her, but he had hoped that the way he treated her during their visit to Markarth would've at least broken down some of the guard she had around herself. He was clearly wrong and visibly upset. She just nodded at him as a reply and the two of them returned to the Guild in silence. Whatever development they had made in their relationship was lost due to her sceptical nature.

* * *

Odin approached her as she unpacked her things into a chest at the foot of her bed. She didn't have much, just a couple of books and some food. She looked up at Odin and noticed him carrying a couple of dossiers and a few weapons. This must've been the only things that Mercer kept here.

"Is this all of it?" she said as she flicked through a couple of the pages of one of the dossiers.

"I'm afraid so. I don't know what you were hoping to find or what your obsession with Mercer is, but I'm counting on you to help me change this Guild."

"I thought you were starting to get your luck back?" she glanced at Odin with a raised brow.

"We are but we're nowhere near the point of salvation. It might take us years to get back what Mercer stole from us."

"He stole from the Guild?"

"I forgot that you know nothing about what caused Mercer's death. All I'm going to tell you is that he robbed us blind and he was the reason for our luck running out. I don't have time to give you the full story, but I'm sure Brynjolf will tell you."

"I doubt that, we're not really on speaking terms."

"I'm going to give you a piece of friendly advice before I resume my duties, if you're going to piss anyone off in this faction, it definitely should not be Brynjolf. Apart from being gifted at what he does, he's an honest man, which is ironic considering the line of work he's in. What I'm trying to say is, make amends with him or you'll regret it."

Odin left Elsie alone to stew in her thoughts. Was she being rash by cutting Brynjolf out? Should she have opened up to him or was she doing the right thing by keeping her pain to herself? Her thoughts were too much for her to handle so she lay on her bed and brought her knees up to her chest. She looked over at the other thieves that littered the cistern. She could see that Brynjolf wasn't lying when he said that they were family; they laughed and joked with each other while she stayed on the side lines feeling miserable. She planned on staying and she planned on making it big, but she needed to trust these people; she needed allies.

* * *

 **A:N Thank you for all of your reviews, I'm glad you're enjoying this story! Thank you so much for reading.**


	4. IV: Making Friends

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **IV: Making Friends**

* * *

She watched everyone's movements in the cistern and she had everyone figured out. Vipir seemed harmless, he disappeared most nights to pick the pockets of Riften's visitors. Then there was Sapphire, a grumpy looking wench that spent most of her time moaning and groaning about the attention she was getting from the pick pocket; she could tell that she secretly enjoyed it and who wouldn't? He wasn't that hard on the eye. Elsie made a point of staying away from her though, she didn't want a friend like that. The wood elf caught her eye though; the way he used the bow was like magic and it drew her in.

"I don't believe we've met yet, I'm the newest recruit, Elsie." She held her hand out, but he just looked at her from the side of his eye.

"I'm Niruin and I know exactly who you are. You're the one that had Brynjolf hot and bothered for a time." He shot his arrow, hitting the target in the middle of the bullseye.

Elsie watched him and folded her arms across her chest. "I had no idea that the Guild was under new management. I had my reasons for wanting to piss off Mercer."

"Whatever it was, I hope you don't hold it against the Guild. It would be nice to have someone else with other talents here."

She raised a brow and smirked. "Other talents?"

"I know you do magic so that makes us the only ones that have real talent." Niruin dropped his bow and put his hand on her shoulder, directing her around the cistern. "See Vipir, the only thing he has going for him is his pickpocketing ability but any one of us can do that." He pointed over at a man called Thrynn and made a displeased noise. "He has no real talent other than the basics."

"That's not very family-like of you." She commented, she was starting to like this elf. He had spunk.

"Every family needs someone with realism. I could've become a hunter and you could've attended the college, but both of us chose this path and with our talents, we've become the best at what we do. Do you really think Odin is just a thief? The man is gifted, like us."

"We'll keep that between ourselves though, wouldn't want the others knifing us in our sleep."

"I'd have my bow drawn before they even had the chance."

She nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "Thank you for the welcome. You're the only one except Delvin that's actually spoke to me like I'm a person."

"Be careful of Delvin, you're just his type. Small… Female…"

Elsie widened her eyes and stepped away from Niruin slowly. "Thanks for the warning."

* * *

She walked around the cistern, making small talk with the rest of the Guild members, finding out bits and pieces about their lives without giving anything of hers away. She spotted Brynjolf making his way out of the back with Vex chattering in his ear. Elsie could tell by his face that whatever she was talking about, it was annoying Brynjolf. She sat down on her bed, propping her pillow against the wall and opened one of her books, using it as a cover to spy on the two thieves.

"I will not take that, that bitch out on a job with me. You know exactly how I feel about her, you can't force me into this, Bryn." She stopped in front of him and watched as he rolled his eyes at her.

"You made your feelings very clear lass, but these orders aren't coming from me. Odin wants the two of you to head to the fishery and acquire the loot in Bolli's chest. Word on the street is he's came into a bit of money."

"I just don't understand why the two of us need to go."

"He probably wants a close eye kept on her," Brynjolf glanced over at the brunette as she read her book and shook his head, "because she can't be trusted just yet."

"So, I have to be the one that keeps an eye on her? This is unfair. I'll be speaking to Odin about this."

"I already tried that, but he overrules me. Just keep things professional."

"Hmph, we'll see about that." Vex swung her body around and called over to the Breton. "You, little mage, you're coming with me."

Elsie lowered her book and pointed at herself. "Me? You realise that I have a name, don't you?"

"I don't care, meet me by the gates." Vex turned to Brynjolf and glared at him one more time before she stormed off.

* * *

Elsie made her way over to Brynjolf and placed her hands on her hips. "What's her problem?" When he turned her back on her, clearly blocking her out, she got angry. She took a single gold coin from her back pocket and threw it at his back. "I'm talking to you."

"Yeah, well I don't really feel like talking to you, lass."

He was going to keep his stance with her until she apologised to him; she owed him that, he was nothing but nice to her. He didn't understand why he was so upset about what she said, all he knew was her words bothered him. When he turned back around, she was gone; he wanted to catch one last look at her, but it wasn't to be.

* * *

Vex waited for her just outside the gate, a dagger up her sleeve and a point to prove. When she saw the mage's cloak emerge from the city gates, she gripped her by the arm and pushed her aggressively against the wall, holding the dagger to her throat. Elsie tried to push Vex off her, but she was too filled with adrenaline to be moved.

"Let's get one thing clear, I'm the best infiltrator that this Guild has, so you follow my lead and play by my rules, got it? And another thing, I don't like you and I'll never like you. If I had it my way, you would never have joined us. I'm just waiting for the moment that Odin lets me knock that pretty little head of yours, off your shoulders."

Elsie clenched her fist and aimed her hysteria spell at Vex, watching as she ran away from her with a smile on her face. She waited for her to come back, the confusion skewed across her face. "I don't like you either, just in case you didn't pick up on that, but I would rather get this job done quickly so I can go back to reading my book." She stepped around the Imperial and pointed her finger at her. "If you attack me again, I will use you as a test for a new spell I've been working on."

"You wouldn't dare." Vex spat out.

"Wouldn't I? Now, how about we get to that chest and get our loot in silence?"

Vex wasn't going to argue with her anymore; Elsie was far too good at magic to be messed with. For now, she would be off limits, just until Vex's anger reared its ugly head again.

* * *

Getting into the fishery was easy for Vex, there was no one better at picking a lock than her; she made it look like child's play. Once they were inside, they noticed Bolli sleeping by his table with an empty tankard in his hand. He had obviously drifted into a drunken slumber but how deep into his sleep was hard to tell. His chest was just behind him and if they were going to get to it, they would have to be as quiet as possible. Both women began to sneak around him, but even the slightest step made his old floorboards creak. He stirred, snoring loudly as he jolted awake. Vex froze, locking eyes with the man but instead of shouting at them, he just stared straight through them and staggered towards his bed.

"Did you cast a spell on us?" Vex whispered in an annoyed tone.

"Couldn't have your heavy footedness cost us this loot." Elsie retorted as she made her way to the chest. She began to pick the lock and glanced at Vex. "You're going to have to get closer to me if you want to stay invisible."

Vex growled under her breath and got closer to her enemy, watching as she broke pick after pick. "Do you want help?"

"No, I need to get better." She grinned as the lock opened and she stared down at the heavy coin purse with a sort of hunger. She wanted that sort of wealth and she aimed to get it. "Let's get out of here."

"I couldn't agree with you more."

* * *

Elsie let Vex give Odin the coin purse, she claimed she had to speak to him, but Elsie thought she was going to take all the glory for herself. She sat down on her bed and felt a set of eyes on her, it was Brynjolf; he was watching her from across the room with a scowl on his face. Even when she stared back at him, he wouldn't look away from her. She swallowed her pride and made her way over to him, standing at his side with a school girl like air.

"Can we speak?"

"We're speaking right now." He replied as he finally broke eye contact with her.

"In private, Brynjolf."

He got out of his chair and motioned for her to walk into his private quarters. Once the door was closed, he leant against the wall and sighed heavily. "What do you want?"

"I didn't mean to come across… I didn't mean to be mean to you. I'm sorry if I hurt you because I clearly did if this is the way you're behaving around me, but you have to understand that I haven't been able to trust a single person since I got here."

"It seemed like you trusted that poor lad in Markarth once upon a time. I just wish that you could put your trust in me, I did vouch for you many times, lass. If Vex had it her way, you'd be six feet under."

"She made that very clear, but you have to realise that I loved Vorstag, but I didn't trust him. He offered to get me to Riften, but I declined because I knew that if a better offer came along, he would ditch me in the wilderness."

"That's sad, Elsie. Sad that you couldn't even trust the man you claimed to love."

"What's sad is that it's true. So, I did what any reasonable woman would do and stole his coin and got a carriage here. A lot of things have happened to me and they've made me into this cold, heartless monster that I am."

"I never called you a monster." He said quietly.

"You didn't need to, I know that I am one." She walked over to his bed and sat on its edge, crossing one leg over the other. "I want to trust you, I want to be a friend but it's hard for me."

"Then open up to me, you were starting to on our trip." He sat beside her, clasping his clammy hands in front of him. She made him nervous in a weird way. It was a feeling he had never felt before. "What was your business with Mercer?"

"I'm not willing to give you that piece of information." She met his eyes and swallowed back her angst.

"What do you think will happen if you put your trust in me? What's the worst that can happen?" he stared down at her face, watching as the nerves beneath her skin twitched. Something in her past damaged her emotionally.

"Disappointment. Do you really want to know why I'm like this? Do you want to know why I'm so distant?"

"What happened to you?"

"My father abandoned my mother while I was in her womb. He stole all the money she had, all her jewellery and her mare. She had nothing but the baron farm we lived on. Both of us struggled for a while until I started to steal gold from the wealthy and break into neighbour's houses." She looked up at Brynjolf, her eyes squinted as she tried to hold in her tears. "When she found out how we got our money, she told the guards and had me put in jail."

"I'm sorry to hear that, lass."

"If I can't trust my own mother, how can I trust you?"

"Because I would never do that to you. We are family."

"So was she."

Brynjolf didn't know what to say, she had his argument beat. "How did you get out of jail?"

"Magic, I was getting lessons from a mage with the extra coin I was making. He taught me the invisibility spell. When I had gathered plenty of picks, I unlocked my door and I walked straight out of that prison."

"Is that why you came to Skyrim?"

"That's enough questions for now, I think I've opened up enough to you." She got onto her feet slowly and tip toed towards the door of Brynjolf's room. She paused at the door and looked over her shoulder at him. "Are we good?"

He regarded her for a moment before nodding his head. "Aye lass, we're good."

* * *

She walked back into the cistern, bumping into her Guild master. He was as bulky as a house and knocking against him felt like knocking into brick. He caught her as she fell backwards and smiled down at her.

"Watch where you're going, I don't want to knock out our best asset."

"Don't be showing favourites, I know I outsmarted you but that doesn't make me the best." She shot him a mischievous smirk to hide how emotional she was feeling after opening up to Brynjolf.

"I just tell it how I see it. Where were you heading from?"

"I apologised to Brynjolf, you were right in what you said… He's a good man."

"I'm going to tell you something, but I want you to keep this between the two of us and I want to make my point crystal clear." Odin looked down at her with a pointed look.

She nodded and folded her arms across her chest. "I'm listening."

"Whatever happened between the two of you in Markarth, your falling out I mean, it's messed him up. That job I sent you on, I was planning on sending him with you, but he begged me not to send him, to send Vex instead. I know families fight but I expect a level of professionalism if we're going to continue making coin. I let Brynjolf slack off this one because he looked after me, but if this happens again, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the Guild."

"Why me?"

"Because we all get along, you're the one that can't seem to make friends."

"That's where you're wrong, Odin. Niruin and I have become fast friends."

"Really now? Niruin usually keeps himself to himself."

Elsie raised her brows at Odin and tilted her head. "Interesting, well feel free to ask him if we're friends or not, I'm sure his answer will be the same as mine. I want to stay in this faction and I want to make a lot of gold. You won't have to worry about my personal life again."

"Very well, I'll hold you to that. And for the record, I'm glad you and Brynjolf settled your differences, you make a good team."

Elsie simply nodded and walked away from Odin; he was right, her and Brynjolf did make a good team. If they were sent out to other cities on the same sort of jobs, the Guild would be bringing in so much more money. If she was allowed the freedom to plan her own infiltrations, she could be rich in no time.

* * *

The morning came quickly and with the rise of the sun came the smell of freshly made porridge from the Ragged Flagon. Elsie made her way into the Flagon and sat down at one of the empty tables. Vekel set a bowl of the steaming oats in front of her and leaned against one of the chairs.

"Eat up, you're going to need your strength."

"And why is that?" she looked up at Vekel as she blew on her spoon.

"Odin told me to tell you that you're going on another quest with Brynjolf; he would tell you himself but he's visiting his wife for a couple of days."

"Have you any idea what I'll be doing or where I'll be going?"

"I'm not sure, you'll have to ask Bryn. He's got all the details."

Elsie nodded and started to stuff her face with the porridge. "I'll speak with him then, thanks."

"Can I get you anything else before you set off?"

"You can tell me this," she looked up at him, resting her head on her hand as she stared up at the brown-haired man, "how did someone so good-looking start working in a bar under the ground? You should be up where the people are."

He laughed and shook his head. "What are you looking for?"

"You couldn't throw one of your freshly baked pies into bag? I promise I'll share it with Brynjolf."

"Fine, but it's not because you flattered me, just in case you thought you had some sort of charm." He pointed at her before heading back behind the bar. "Because, you don't."

She rolled her eyes and smiled to herself. Elsie knew that she was charming, on her good days she tried to be.

* * *

Brynjolf waited as patiently as he could for his partner to show up, but Elsie was keeping him waiting. When she finally arrived, she was slightly out of breath, heaving for air. He loaded her bag onto the horse and turned to her with a raised brow.

"You alright, lass?"

"I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer, so I ran here." She placed her hands on her waist as she took in a couple of deep breaths. "So, companion, where are we heading now?"

"We're set for Solitude; The Radiant Raiment is our target. Seems like the High Elf sisters have made a couple of enemies for themselves. It was suggested by a reliable source that we check out their loot."

Elsie nodded and climbed onto the horse by herself, looking down at Brynjolf with a small smile. "We're taking suggestions now?"

"More like helpful tips from old friends that want to see us prosper." He replied as he got onto the mare.

She wrapped her arms around his midsection, keeping a tight grip on him. "Good to know."

* * *

 **A:N Thank you for your reviews, nothing gives me more drive than knowing someone actually enjoys reading this story! Hope you enjoyed this and in the next chapter, Elsie's ties to Mercer will finally be revealed. Again, thank you, I appreciate every review.**


	5. V: Double Crossed

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **V: Double Crossed**

* * *

Their ride to Solitude was peaceful; they didn't run into any trouble on the roads and as she promised to Odin, there wasn't going to be anymore problems between her and Brynjolf, Elsie was determined to maintain her friendships within the Guild.

"You seem to know these roads well." She commented as she looked up at him.

"I used to come to Solitude a lot when I was younger. I always begged my father to take me to see the Imperial castles; it used to make us all feel safe. I don't know what it was like in High Rock, but here, it used to be different. This civil war has Skyrim on her knees."

"I never really paid much interest in politics, when I was training to be a mage I learned that nothing is really that important; everything is so fragile. I think Skyrim's civil war has highlighted that."

"It's best to keep out of the nitty gritty details of politics, lass. That's the way the Guild looks at it. We have people from all walks of life in our outfit, it would be wrong to pick one side over the other." He glanced over his shoulder at her. "What is it like in High Rock?"

"My homeland is a very beautiful place, it's a lot warmer than this country." She smiled to herself as she thought back to her short time at home. "I used to love the feeling of the warm sun on my face. I don't really get to feel that here."

He couldn't help but copy her smile as he tried to imagine what she was feeling in her memories. Brynjolf tried to focus back onto the road ahead of them but his mind continued to wander back to her. He wanted to know more about the Breton.

"Would you ever return?"

"No, I can't return home; I burned so many bridges and there's nothing left for me."

"You could always make amends with your mother, I'm sure she regrets what she did."

Elsie shook her head and loosened her grip on Brynjolf's waist. "I can't, my mother died while I was imprisoned."

"How long did you spend in jail, lass?"

"Too long, maybe a few years. I don't know the full details but from what the prison guards told me, bandits raided the farm. She didn't really have a fighting chance."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

* * *

She rested her head on his back and squeezed her eyes shut; she hated talking about her past, but a part of her wanted to open up to Brynjolf, even though the rest of her fought against the urge. She felt so conflicted and the only way for her to truly know if she could trust him was to tell him her secret. She placed her hand on his shoulder and when he met her eyes, he slowed the horse down.

"Can we stop for a moment?"

"Right here? We're almost at the city." He examined the open area and felt unsure.

"There's something that I need to get off my chest before we continue."

He could tell by her face that she was battling with something and talking about her past stirred it up. He agreed to stop and walked the horse underneath a jutted cliff, taking shelter under the cliff edge. They dismounted the horse and rolled a boulder over the reins to keep it in place. She was quiet as they built a fire to keep warm and he watched her as she took one of Vekel's pies out of her bag.

"Whatever you need to tell me lass, I'm all ears."

She sat down beside him and broke off piece of the pie, handing it to him. "I just want you to know that I don't have anything against the Guild, things could have gone much differently for me but I'm glad you all took me in." She looked at him, letting out a quiet and deflated sigh.

He nodded and furrowed his brows. "I know."

"I know that you and Odin have been wondering what my connection to Mercer Frey has been, why I wanted all of his belongings. I can't blame the two of you for being curious."

"Neither one of us wanted to pry…"

"Listen, I understand. If I was in your position, I'd wonder too. The reason I came to Skyrim was to find my father and get my revenge. When I asked around about him and found out a little more about him, I understood why my mother was so furious that I became a thief. It was in my blood." She shifted her weight and ran her fingers through her knotted, brown hair. "Mercer was my father, I didn't know he was dead until that night in the Palace of Kings. I guess it didn't really become public knowledge."

"You're Mercer's daughter?" Brynjolf bit into his piece of the pie and chewed violently as he tried to wrap his head around what she confessed to him. "He didn't tell any of us that he had family."

"He didn't, he abandoned us." Elsie looked at Brynjolf as he stared at her in disbelief. "Finding out he was dead was surprisingly hard, all my life I hated him and then I felt this sorrow when I learned…" she shook her head and ate some of her pie.

"He was still your father lass, you're allowed to have your emotions." He put his arm around her shoulders when he heard her sniffle quietly.

"I wanted his journals to see if he thought about me, but he only wrote about me once. He kept documentation on every person in his life, wrote about my first birthday then that was it. Obviously, he didn't think about me again, I was just wiped out of his life." She hid her face in her hands and let out the emotions she had been bottling up.

"I understand how you feel, lass. Mercer was my mentor for years he was almost like a father figure to me. I had the utmost respect for him and then I found out what he did, and it was like the weight of the world fell onto me." He pulled her hands from her face and placed his finger under her chin, making her look him in the eye. "I get you and you don't have to worry about me telling anyone else about your secret. I want you to trust me."

She nodded at him and pursed her lips. "I trust you with this… I trust you. You're the only one I can trust." When she calmed herself down, she placed her hand over Brynjolf's and looked to the floor. "There's one thing I want you to tell me."

"What is it?"

"Tell me what Mercer did to ruin the Guild. What caused his death?"

He wanted to keep the trust he had built with Elsie; she told him her deepest secret and he respected her for it, but Mercer's betrayal still cut Brynjolf deep.

"It's hard for me to talk about, lass."

"Don't you trust me, Brynjolf?"

Hurt started to creep onto her face as he watched her, he knew that he was going to have to tell her regardless of how he felt; she deserved to know.

"He was stealing right from under our noses. All our coin, our jewels and our armoury were gone. Not only did he steal from us, but he murdered our previous Guild master, Gallus and framed his friend for the murder. Karliah was exiled for decades; he pulled the wool over our eyes. Odin had to kill him, only one of them was going to live."

Elsie got the feeling that he was holding onto a piece of information, but she could see how uncomfortable she had made him by prying into Mercer's past. Instead of demanding more information, she squeezed his hand.

"I just needed to know what happened."

"Don't hold it against Odin, he's a good lad. He's doing what he can to restore the Guild."

"I won't hold the events that Mercer set in motion against anyone. He got what he deserved." She let go of Brynjolf and stared into the flames of their fire as she finished off her slice. "We'll leave for Solitude soon, I just want to sit here for a moment longer."

"Whatever you want, lass."

* * *

She had never been to Solitude, she had only heard vague descriptions of the city and they didn't hold a flame to the Imperial walls that surrounded Solitude. Stepping through the city gates and staring at the marvellous buildings made her feel awe struck. She followed Brynjolf towards the Radiant Raiment and watched him pick the lock. When they were inside, they searched for the loot that was promised; working together made them more determined to succeed. They stuffed fine clothes into their bags and made their way upstairs hoping to find some coin or a looted chest. Brynjolf took one bedroom while Elsie took the other. She opened the chest in the room and placed the jewels into her satchel before making her way out to Brynjolf.

"Did you find anything in your room?" she whispered.

"Just a couple of coin purses, what about you lass?"

"Some jewels; an emerald and an amethyst."

Brynjolf's face screwed up as he glanced around the hallway. "Something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?"

"There should be more, my source said that there was plenty of riches. Where are the owners of this place? Things aren't adding up lass."

"Your source… are they usually reliable?"

"They always pull through, let's just get out of here."

* * *

They descended the staircase to see three guards waiting by the door. They froze, looking for another way to escape. The fear started to chew on Elsie, she didn't want to go back to jail, she couldn't. She saw so many terrible things the first time she was imprisoned, and she was almost certain that Skyrim prisons were worse. A guard stepped towards her but was met with Brynjolf's dagger to his throat.

"Don't touch the lass." He warned as he stared at the helmet of the guard.

The other two came behind Brynjolf, holding his arms behind his back forcefully and as he struggled against the two men, they kicked the back of his knee and pushed him to the ground.

"We're not here for you, thief." The guard turned back to the young woman and drew his sword. "You can either come with me easily or I can force you into your cell."

She balled her hand into a fist and glanced down at the flicker of a flame but before she did anything, she looked at Brynjolf and saw him shake his head. "I'll go easy."

The guard ripped her satchel and her bag from her tiny frame and threw them by Brynjolf's knees. "Come on then, I don't have all night." He bound her hands together and pushed her towards the door.

"I'll get you out, lass. Trust me."

She looked him in the eye as she stepped past him, seeing that he meant what he said. She was believed in him, if anyone was going to get her out, it would be him.

"So, are you taking me to jail too?" Brynjolf looked up at the two guards as they lowered their weapons.

"No, our mutual friend said that you aren't to be harmed."

He picked up Elsie's belongings and glared at the guards as they walked out of the shop. He should've listened to that voice in his head that told him it was a set up. He was double crossed, and it built up a rage inside him that scared him a little bit. He was determined, he was going to get Elsie out of that jail cell.

* * *

He had never ridden back to Riften so fast, he usually took his time to enjoy his surroundings but this time he needed to get back to the Guild immediately. He pushed his horse to it's limits and got to Riften within a day. He sprinted to the secret entrance and crashed into the cistern. Delvin picked him up from the floor, concern riddling his face.

"What's going on, Bryn? Where's the girl?"

"Not now, I need Odin."

"He's not back yet won't be back until the morning." Delvin moved him away from prying ears and kept a tight grip on his shoulder. "What happened in Solitude?"

"My source double crossed me, sent guards in to take Elsie." Brynjolf gripped onto his red hair and kicked one of the dressers in frustration. "I don't know how I'm going to get her out. They know what I look like."

"Calm down and think for a moment. We have an ex jailbreaker in our midst." Delvin gave him a comforting half smirk. "I'm sure he would take it up one last time for you."

"Delvin you're a genius. I'll speak with Cynric immediately." He placed his hands on Delvin's shoulders and grinned at him. "I could kiss you."

"Please don't, Bryn. You're not really my type."

"When did you become so picky?" he teased as he marched away.

* * *

Cynric watched Brynjolf as he approached him, it was like he knew what he was about to ask, and it terrified him. He had promised himself after spending three years in one of High Rock's toughest prisons that he would never do a jailbreak again. But he didn't know if he could turn Brynjolf down, he had too much faith in that man.

"I know of your oath to yourself, lad. But I wouldn't ask this of you if it wasn't important. Someone backstabbed us and got Elsie locked up. I would do it myself, but they know what I look like."

He thought about the promise he made as he eyed up his superior and reluctantly nodded. "This is the last time I ever do this, if anyone else gets locked up,"

"I know, I'll get someone else. You have no idea how much I appreciate this and you'll get a better cut on all jobs as payment."

"I'm not doing it for the money, I'm doing it because I know this girl is going to make the Guild stronger. I mean she got the axe easily, made you look like a fool in the process. I love this Guild too much to watch it dwindle into nothing."

"Do me a favour, lad and don't tell Odin I asked you to do this. I'll tell him when he gets back." Cynric went to walk away but Brynjolf grabbed him by the arm. "And please, make sure you both get out in one piece."

"You've got the best person on the job, nothing will happen to her."

"To both of you." He reminded him before letting him go. Brynjolf was going to need to keep himself busy, his nerves were starting to get the better of him. He just needed Elsie back, he wanted her to be safe.

* * *

Hours melted into days as she lay on the cold, stone floor of her cell. The ragged tunic that kept her covered her offered no blockage from the cold. She felt like she was freezing to death, shivering as she watched the comings and goings of the guards from behind the iron door. They took everything she had; her picks, her custom armour and her journal. There was no doubt that they were reading every intimate detail and laughing. She knew they were, if she ever tried to defend herself against the guards, they would mock her by bringing up her entry about Brynjolf and their night in Markarth; how she wished that something had of happened between them. It was demoralising. To make matters worse, there was a mad man in the cell beside her who kept her awake at night. He would ramble to himself, sometimes screaming and shouting. One night he kept banging his head off the wall between their two cells. She didn't feel safe, but did anyone in prison? Her fears were right, Skyrim prisons were worse than the ones in High Rock.

Elsie was woken from her sleep by the sound of two guards bringing another prisoner into the dungeon of Castle Dour and she recognised his voice. She got onto her feet and stepped to the door, watching the man as he got pushed into his cell. He stood at his cell door and locked eyes with her, nodding his head at her. She was going to get out. But her attention was drawn to the guards as they paused by her cell door.

"Get back to the bench, thief." One of them snarled.

"I'm stretching my legs, there's nothing wrong with that." She replied, leaning on the bars.

"You're lucky that I have orders not to kill you, you have been nothing but a thorn in my side since you've arrived. You think you're smart, don't you?"

"A lot smarter than the two of you anyway."

The guard put his hand between the bars and gripped her by the throat, not too tight but enough to leave a bruise. "You listen here, if I hear one more word from that mouth of yours…"

"Leave her, go take a walk around the grounds." The other guard said as he started to pull him away from Elsie's cell.

"Imperial bastards." She spat out as she held onto her throbbing neck. When they were gone she glanced over at the new arrival and noticed that he kept staring at her with this sorry look. "Welcome to hell." She commented as she stepped back towards her bench slowly.

"Elsie, Brynjolf sent me. I'm going to get you out of here." He said quietly, cautious that the guards were still lurking.

She was filled with hope as she lay down on her bench, staring up at the dull ceiling. She knew she was right to trust Brynjolf; he was going to keep his promise.

* * *

There were a few more creaks during the night than usual and as Elsie went to investigate, she noticed the new prisoner picking his cell door. She gripped onto the bars tightly in anticipation as she waited to hear the sweet sound of the lock clicking open. When she did, her knees went a little weak. He quietly moved towards her and started to pick her lock.

"Where did you get those picks from?"

"Smuggled them in."

"How?"

He looked at her and shook his head. "You don't want to know. I'm Cynric by the way, we're in the Guild together."

"I thought I recognised you, I've never had the chance to speak with you." She smiled weakly and opened her door quietly once it was unlocked. "Guess now is as good a chance as any. What's the plan?"

"There's a way out from my cell, a couple of slack bricks in the wall." He closed her cell door behind her and snuck over to his cell with her in tow. "We've got to do this quietly, we don't want to wake up that madman in case he starts attracting the guards."

She nodded and helped him get rid of the loose bricks, smiling as she saw her escape in front of her. She grabbed his wrist as he stepped through the hole in the wall. "My things, I can't leave without them."

"We'll get them, just relax." He took her hand and led her through the very narrow passage, pointing at another hole in the wall. They could see the lid of the chest and the only guard sleeping in front of it. "You're going to have to be very careful."

She tiptoed towards the hole and slowly pushed her arm through, freezing when the guard started to stir in his sleep. She cast her invisibility spell and opened the chest ever so slowly. Once it was open she grabbed her journal, her armour and whatever belongings Cynric had and dropped her spell. The changed into their armour and ran through the passage as quickly as they could. They didn't stick around in the city; it was too dangerous for them now. All it would take for them to get caught again was one guard to recognise them, they weren't ready for the game to be over.

* * *

 **A:N Thank you for the reviews, I love reading your thoughts on this story! Next chapter, I have a really nice ending for it, hopefully something you all have been waiting for and maybe a little twist. Thank you again for reading!**


	6. VI: Complications

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **VI: Complications**

* * *

Odin was full of rage when he returned to the cistern. Brynjolf's letter had obviously reached him swiftly. He was woken up from his sleep by his Guild master and he could tell by his face that things were not going to go well. He got up and put on his armour, following Odin into armoury for a bit of privacy. The Dragonborn just stared at the red headed man with a disappointed look, shaking his head as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"You told me that you have a reputable source, Brynjolf. If your source was so sound, then why is my recruit in the dungeons of Castle Dour and why is another breaking her out?"

"Listen lad, my source is a close friend of both of us, I thought I could trust her, but she must've had a vendetta against Elsie. She targeted her, the guards completely forgot about me." Brynjolf was disappointed in himself, he didn't trust his gut instinct and now things were messed up.

"Who's the rat?"

"It was Karliah, she was my source."

"Karliah? She's never met Elsie. She hasn't come around here in months because she's been guarding the hall. It had to of been someone posing as Karliah." Odin was trying to make excuses for her, it couldn't have been her.

"I'm telling you that it was her, I'll show you the letter if you don't believe me. We need to go to the Nightingale Hall and find out why she targeted Elsie. It's a betrayal to the Guild, lad."

Odin placed his hands over his face as he weighed up his options. "I'll invite her to the flagon, keep my invitation friendly and then I'll ask her face to face."

"I want to be there when you ask her. I want to know why she stabbed me in the back."

"You can't let your feelings for Elsie cause a scene."

Brynjolf stared at his friend and furrowed his brow. "What feelings?"

"Oh come on, she gave you a scolding and you were hurt, if that's not a big sign then what about all the longing looks at each other from across the room? I'm not blind, Brynjolf. You can't help who you fall for."

"She's my friend, that's all." That's what he told himself in his mind but now that he was saying it out loud, he heard for himself how wrong it sounded. He had fallen for her and there was no denying it anymore.

"I'll speak with Karliah and believe me, she will answer for what she's done to her. But I can't and will not lead this Guild the way Mercer did. Second chances and forgiveness will be given once."

He wasn't going to argue with him, if Brynjolf had it his way, Karliah would pay with blood; but that was his anger talking. He was starting to become irrational when it came to Elsie, it worried him. He had never felt this way before. It was unexplored territory.

* * *

"You seemed to be having a hard time in that cell. What was going on?" Cynric watched his fellow Breton as she walked beside him, staring up at the stars with a smile on her face.

"They were reading my journals, teasing me about some of the things I wrote; I don't really respond well to arrogance and mockery, so I gave them a piece of my mind." She let out a little laugh and looked at Cynric. "My first night, I summoned a frost atronach and made them fight it. I think one of them got hurt. They started putting magika poison in my food after that."

"What were they teasing you about?" when her smile faded, and she looked back to the sky, he rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, I forgot that you're not the trusting type."

"I'm working on it," she sighed and kicked a couple of pebbles on the stone path, "if it's going to save the journey from getting awkward… I wrote about Brynjolf in my journal."

"Hmm, I thought you had a sweet spot for him. You don't really hide it very well. What did you write? Was it about that silly braid in his hair?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, when we were in Markarth we shared a bed, nothing happened but I found myself fantasising about him. I'm not going to pursue anything though; love and thieving doesn't work out well."

"Life in Skyrim is short, why would you deny yourself that chance?" Cynric was a lot older and a lot wiser than Elsie; he also had a good point.

"I don't know if he feels the same way. I could be getting my wires crossed."

"Everyone knows that Brynjolf has a flame burning for you. He hides it better, but you can see it. I think it's why Vex hates you so much." Cynric thought for a moment then shook his head. "Actually, I think Vex hates everyone that isn't herself."

"My head is spinning from all of this love talk. Tell me about yourself, how did you get so good at jailbreaking?" Elsie looked up at Cynric and noticed the hint of pain crossing his face.

"I did it for a long time, I was quite good at it. I would take contracts and either break people out or kill a prisoner, but I got trapped in a prison in High Rock; spent too many years there. When they let me go I said I would never do it again until Brynjolf asked me to break you out."

"Which prison were you trapped in?"

"Daggerfall."

"Me too."

"You've been to jail before?"

Elsie nodded and shrugged her shoulders. "It's a long story but I ended up escaping after spending a couple of years there. That's why my magic comes in handy; I can do anything."

"I've dabbled with magic, as most Bretons do but it's not for me."

"I could show you a few things, I mean that magic is literally coursing through your veins; you can tap into that."

Cynric waved her off. "I've had bad experiences in the past with mages. I don't want to learn, I'm fine using a bow or my fists if I get into trouble."

Elsie understood where he was coming from, learning magic was very hard and most parents in High Rock put pressure on their children to learn magic. It was a way of guaranteeing a well-paid job in a country that didn't have very many people that practiced.

"If you ever feel like learning one or two spells, you know who to come to."

"I'm too old for that now."

"You're never too old to learn a new skill."

* * *

Karliah responded to Odin's letter quickly and stepped into the cistern with a happy expression. She was glad to see that the Guild was starting to prosper once more now that Nocturnal was on their side again. He approached her with open arms and hugged her, even though he believed Brynjolf, he was a firm believer in forgiveness.

"An important matter has come up and I needed to speak with you immediately."

"Of course, I'll assist the Guild in anyway that I can."

"What have you been up to? I haven't saw you around here in a long time." He took her towards the room he had set up as his safe place; he had moved his desk there and spent most of his time planning new schemes.

"I've been restoring the hall the way Nocturnal would want it. Since Gallus' spirit left this plane, I've been doing some soul searching. I didn't expect seeing him again to have such an effect on me."

"I'm sorry to hear how you've been affected." He held the door open for her and followed her inside.

* * *

She paused when she saw Brynjolf waiting for both of them, sat on one of the three chairs that was set up for them. When he stared at her, she knew that he had told Odin everything that happened.

"Take a seat, Karliah." He said calmly, motioning with his head to the seat beside him.

Odin sat down behind his desk, resting his elbows on the wood. "We're just going to have a chat, it's okay." He assured her.

She took her seat slowly, keeping her eyes off Brynjolf. "I can explain."

"That's what we're doing here, giving you the chance to do. So, explain yourself."

"There's a lot of things that you don't know about Elsie, Nocturnal is worried that she will turn out just like her father." She finally looked at Brynjolf and could tell by his face that he too knew her secret. "But I can tell by your eyes that you already know."

"Know what? What am I missing here?" Odin said, looking between the other two Nightingales.

"Shall you tell him, or shall I?" she said with a raised brow.

"I told her that I would keep her secret, I want her to know that she can trust me."

Karliah looked at Odin and leaned into her chair. "Then I shall be the bearer of bad news. Mercer was Elsie's father."

"That's why she wanted his belongings. Obviously, they had a turbulent past because she wanted revenge on him; granted she was going to take down the Guild to get her revenge, but she has assured both Brynjolf and I that her intentions now are to help us."

"As soon as she arrived at the Guild, Nocturnal gave me a warning; she would either make us or break us and I was simply trying to stop that latter from happening."

"Should she be paying the price of what Mercer done when she didn't even know the man?" Brynjolf interjected passionately. He wasn't going to let Karliah drag her reputation through the mud.

"You obviously know more than what Karliah does, so please enlighten me."

Brynjolf sighed and tucked his hair behind his ear. "Mercer abandoned her before she was born, he was dead before she even found him."

"I can confirm that he abandoned her, he had told me that during our first year here while he was drunk… But are you completely sure that she never met Mercer?" Karliah turned to Brynjolf and suddenly, all eyes were on him.

"I can't but I'm choosing to trust her because she trusted me which wasn't easy for her. Odin, if she was going to do anything to the Guild, why would she be working so hard for us? Why would she try to make friends out of us? Look at the way Mercer spoke to you when you first joined our outfit and look at the way Elsie speaks to all of us. There's a huge difference."

Odin knew that both made good points, but if he was going to practice what he preached, then he couldn't hold Elsie responsible for what her father done. But he was going to keep a close eye on her. "Karliah, I don't want you double crossing us again, I'm giving you one last chance. You had your revenge on Mercer but leave his daughter out of it. Brynjolf, if I even think for one second that she's going to betray us, I'll have her dealt with."

"If I think she's going to do anything, I'll deal with her myself." He said as he stared Odin in the eyes.

"Then we're done here. It was nice seeing you again, Karliah. I hope that the next time we meet, it'll be under better circumstances. Brynjolf, come find me about a job when you're ready." Odin got out of his chair and left his associates in the room. He needed air and a large tankard of mead.

* * *

Karliah looked at Brynjolf as she placed her hood over her head. She could tell by the way his eyes were glistening and by his words that he was infatuated with Elsie. She couldn't help but shake her head as she watched him.

"Whatever you have to say to me, lass, just say it."

"You love her, don't you?"

"I don't know what I feel, I'm confused by it all." He sighed and got out of his chair. "But, aye… I think I love her."

"You have to be so careful Brynjolf, look how Gallus and I turned out. I'm still breathing and he's not here. Our line of work is so dangerous. Every job we take has a risk; spending the rest of our lives in jail or a guard that is quicker than us with bloodlust or betrayal. I don't want to see you hurt how I was."

"I can't live my life in fear of getting hurt or I'll never live. I'm four years off forty, I have no home of my own and no one to share the rest of my life with. What sort of life is that?"

"It's the life we signed up for. The Guild is the only family any of us need." She patted Brynjolf on the shoulder and threw him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry for backstabbing you, but I was just looking out for our family."

"I'll give you the second chance that Odin swore you'd have; but I won't forget." He stiffened up and nodded at her before stepping away from her. "Goodbye Karliah."

* * *

Their walk was long and with many stops along the way, they arrived back to Riften in a couple of days. Elsie stood outside the gates, looking up at them with a small smile. She had never been so glad to see the run-down city that she called home. She put her arm around Cynric, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you so much for getting me back here in one piece."

"Are you not going back to the cistern for some food and a rest? Gods know I need it."

She let out a breath and placed a hand on her hip. "I need to wash because I stink, and I've heard that Delvin has a habit of being a peeping tom. I'm going to go to the river behind the fishery and bathe, probably wash my armour too after having those guards touch it."

"I'll keep over some of Vekel's stew for you; you need a warm meal in your stomach."

"Soon, I'll be back in a few hours. I just need some time to myself to think things through."

"And if Brynjolf asks where you are?"

"Just tell him I'm by the river. As long as he knows that I'm back then he'll be fine." She gave him one last smile before she headed away from the city walls. She needed somewhere quiet and away from prying eyes.

* * *

She picked the spot on the river where the sun beamed down on the water. She was lucky that Riften wasn't as cold as Winterfell or Windhelm, but it wasn't as warm as what she was used to. The water was freezing against her bare skin as she submerged herself in the water, holding her breath as the water went around her face. When she resurfaced she pushed her hair back off her face and wiped the water from it with the palms of her hands. She loved nothing more than feeling clean, since joining the Guild, she didn't have the time to enjoy this little bit of luxury that she had. She was going to take as much time as she could out here, she had gotten used to the temperature of the water and she scared away all the fish. She was in her element.

Elsie lay back in the water, her arms outstretched as she floated on the surface of the water. She couldn't hear a thing with the water around her ears; it was peaceful, and it let her try to clear her mind so that she could decide about her relationship with Brynjolf. It was all she could think about, any time she was alone she found herself wondering what he was doing or thinking about his appearance. She opened her eyes when she felt the water ripple and wave around her and she placed her feet back on the river bed. She looked around to see Brynjolf standing on the river bank, a couple of pebbles in his hand. He was skimming them across the lake to get her attention. She wrapped her arms around her chest, hiding her modesty and raised a brow at him.

* * *

"What are you doing out here?"

"We need to talk, lass."

"Can't it wait? I'm kind of in the middle of something."

He smiled to himself and shook his head. "I noticed that, but no. This is important."

She stepped towards the riverbank and took the dry dress that Brynjolf extended to her; getting into her leather armour with wet skin would've been a nightmare.

"What do you need to speak to me about?" she sat on the bank and put her boots on. Brynjolf sat down beside her, she could tell by his aura that he was feeling tense.

"One of the Guild's most trusted friends, Karliah, had you imprisoned. I had to tell Odin where you were and why I made Cynric break the promise to himself." He couldn't look at her, he thought that he was going to shatter the trust she had built up with him.

"Karliah..." She paused for a moment and looked away from Brynjolf's face. "She hated Mercer and if she came for me, that means she knew who I was."

"Apparently Mercer mentioned he had a child one night he got drunk but Nocturnal, the god that we thieves serve, she felt uneasy about your arrival."

"I assume Karliah told Odin about my true connection to Mercer and he'll probably kick me out."

"No, he's not going to kick you out, lass. He's warned Karliah to drop her vendetta against you and he's not going to judge you on your father's past. He's a fair leader so he gave Karliah a second chance and I want you to respect his decision."

"Of course, I respect it," she looked at Brynjolf, meeting his green eyes, "if I was in his position, I'd like to think that I would choose the same outcome. But I want to meet Karliah one day to assure her that I'm nothing like the man that had her exiled."

"When the dust settles, it would be good for both of you."

Elsie pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she pulled her legs close to her body. "Thank you for telling me."

"I want you to know that I wasn't the one that told Odin, I wouldn't break your trust." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "I defended you to the end."

"I don't doubt that." She looked at him, resting her cheek on his hand. It caught him off guard, but he turned his hand over and she enjoyed the feeling of his palm on the apple of her cheek.

* * *

"What are we doing, Elsie?" his voice became a raspy whisper, he couldn't tell if she was trying to be affectionate or if she was just upset.

"How do you feel about me?"

"We're friends, I've got your back and you've got mine." He furrowed his brow as he watched her eyes examine his face.

"I mean in your heart, Bryn. How do you feel about me deep down?"

He wasn't going to fear his emotions anymore; it was just the two of them out on the riverbank and as he gazed into her hazel eyes he knew that he couldn't hide his feelings from her anymore. He cleared his dry throat and moved her wet hair out of her face.

"I'm in love with you, that trip to Markarth sparked something inside me and my feelings have grown every day since then. You probably don't feel the same, but you have the right to know."

Without saying a word, she closed the gap between them and pressed a kiss onto his lips. He returned it, pulling her closer until she was on his lap; she was so close to him that he could feel her heart race against his. She pulled at the strings on her dress and dropped the fabric off her shoulders. He pulled away from her and turned his head.

"This isn't right, you're just appeasing me and my emotions."

She placed her hand on his face and turned his head back to her, giving him a reassuring nod. "I'm falling for you, you're the only man I've been able to trust; you're the only one that understands me. This isn't wrong."

"Are you sure, lass?"

She started to loosen his armour and pulled it over his head. She ran her hands along his exposed chest and nodded. "I have never been so sure."

* * *

 **A:N Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope this is what you were all waiting for! I can't wait to show you how Brynjolf and Elsie's relationship plays out. Thanks for reading!**


	7. VII: Secrets

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **VII: Secrets**

* * *

She placed her armour onto her body and caught Brynjolf staring at her, she smiled to herself and fixed her chainmail around her chest. She felt his arms wrap around her waist once more as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. Elsie melted into his embrace, feeling whole in herself for the first time in her life. She wanted things to work between her and Brynjolf, but she feared that her mother and father's history would play out between the two of them.

"Are we going to tell anyone about us?" he said as she turned in his arms.

"Not just yet, I want this to be between only us, for a little while at least." She placed her hands on his chest and shook her head. "Are things even official between us?"

"They seem official to me, lass."

"Then there's a better reason to keep it from the rest of the Guild. I don't want to cause too much attention to myself, people are going to slowly find out about my ties to Mercer and I don't want you pulled into the backlash."

"I'm always going to defend you, I've been doing that since the day you stepped into our family."

"But I know how the Guild feels about Mercer and I can guarantee that people won't be enthusiastic about rubbing elbows with his daughter." She stepped away from him and placed her hands on her hips. "I think I should tell people before it slips out. It would be better if it came from my mouth instead of someone else's."

"It's up to you, I'll support whatever you decide."

She took his hand, filling the space between his fingers with her own. "We should head back before someone comes looking for us."

He kissed her one last time, it could be their last kiss for a while. Their relationship was going to be a secret for as long as fate would allow it. Brynjolf was going to have to follow her lead.

* * *

When she stepped into the cistern, she was surprised to have such a warm welcome. Word of her jail time had obviously gotten out, probably through Cynric but she didn't mind too much; the welcome home was a perfect example of everything that Brynjolf had been preaching to her. This was a family, it was dysfunctional at times, but it was still a family. She was greeted by members that she had avoided and even Vex gave her the faintest smile. Odin waited until everyone had gave her breathing room before approaching her.

"I hope you aren't roughed up too badly. Cynric told me how the guards treated you."

She felt Brynjolf's eyes of concern on her as she folded her arms across her chest. "It wasn't pleasant, and I hope to never spend time in a jail cell again." She looked away from Odin and bit her bottom lip. "I know that my past has come to your attention and in case it hasn't been made clear, I still want to bring this Guild back to its former glory."

"Given what you've been through over the past week, I want to send you on a couple of smaller, solo jobs. I'm going to send you in Delvin's direction, you'll be answering to him for a few weeks." Odin looked to Brynjolf. "I need to speak to you about that job I mentioned earlier."

"I almost forgot about that, I'm sorry lad." He had been so distracted with Elsie that Odin's request completely slipped his mind.

"It's fine, let's speak about it now. Elsie, I want you to get some food and a decent night's sleep, you'll be back in action tomorrow morning. And, I'm glad you made it out of Castle Dour intact."

"Thank you, Odin." She glanced at Brynjolf and nodded at him. "Brynjolf."

"We'll catch up another time, lass." He gave her a quick smile and followed Odin into his quarters and closed the door behind them.

* * *

"I hope you told her about what happened between us and Karliah in as little detail as possible." Odin said as he took a seat behind his desk.

"I didn't reveal the secret of the Nightingales if that's what you're worried about."

"Good, does she resent me for my decision?"

Brynjolf shook his head and took a seat in front of his leader. "No, she said that she respected your decision. The lass has her head screwed on. All she wants is to make some coin."

"I just don't want to lose a valuable asset over a misunderstanding, but enough of that unpleasantness… I need your help with something."

"Anything."

"I want this to remain between us for the meantime, but I need you to acquire a house in Riften for my wife and me without going through all of that hassle. I'll be relocating here permanently."

Brynjolf tilted his head and raised his brow. "Is there something you're not telling me, lad?" a smile crept onto his face.

Odin grinned at him and leaned back into his chair. "Ysolda and I are going to have a child, I don't want to be leaving the Guild every couple of days and making the trips back and forth to look after both, so we agreed to move into Riften. Besides, Riften is a good place for her skooma business to take off."

"Congratulations, I'm pleased for you and I'll get on it right away." Odin's news genuinely made Brynjolf happy. He always liked kids, perhaps it was because he acted like a big kid himself at times.

"Thanks, Brynjolf, keep this to yourself for a few weeks. It's still early days."

"I'll let you be the one to tell everyone, it's not my place." Brynjolf got out of his chair and flashed one last smile at Odin. "I can't wait to teach him or her a couple of skills."

"We've got to find a place to live first."

"I'll have a word with Maven, see what strings we can pull."

"She always did like you better, must have a soft spot for you."

Brynjolf laughed a little and shook his head as he stepped out of the room. "I'll speak with her in the morning."

* * *

He stepped into the Ragged Flagon and took the seat across from Elsie, she had her head down and was shovelling her bowl of stew into her like it was going to be snatched off her any second. She glanced up at him and wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve. She glanced around to see if anyone was looking before she placed her hand on his briefly.

"Can I help you, Brynjolf?"

"I need to speak with you."

She smirked and raised a brow. "We're speaking right now." She leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms.

"Very funny, using my words against me. I'm being serious."

She rolled her eyes and got onto her feet. "Mercer's home, ten minutes." Elsie got out of her chair and put the half-eaten bowl of stew in front of Vekel. "Thanks for the dinner, again your talents are wasted here."

Brynjolf turned in his chair and watched her as she joked around with the bar keep.

"You really need to stop trying to flatter me."

"If it means that I keep getting free stew, then I'll keep complimenting you."

"You only got it because of what happened to you in Castle Dour."

When Elsie glanced over her shoulder at Brynjolf, he turned away quickly.

"I wouldn't have told Cynric anything if I knew he was going to blab about it to everyone."

"Don't be so harsh on him, I think he was concerned about you."

Elsie nodded and stepped away from the bar. "I suppose, I'll just have to start picking and choosing what I'm going to tell people. Again, thanks for dinner."

* * *

She lit the fire in the bedroom and sat in front of it, waiting for Brynjolf to show up. He was very punctual and as he walked up to the second floor, he caught a glimpse of her warming the inside of her boots. He laughed to himself and took the seat beside her.

"Someone's made themselves comfortable here. This place has changed."

"It's mine now, it's the least Mercer owes me. Haven't got the coin to make it perfect but that'll come. I've always wanted an alchemy lab at home." She watched him from the corner of her eye as she put her boots back on. "What did you want to speak to me about?"

His eyes glistened with sadness, if what he heard was true then he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for the danger he put her in. "Why didn't you tell me about Castle Dour?"

"Did you hear what happened?"

"As soon as you left, I asked Vekel and Cynric."

Elsie rested her legs over the arm of the chair, her feet taking the place in his lap. "We were a little busy getting better acquainted."

"If I had have known that you were sore, I wouldn't have touched you." He placed his hands on her ankles affectionately. "Why were they so harsh with you?"

"I kind of made things worse for myself. I spoke back to them and I summoned atronachs. They were reading my journal and I didn't like that."

"It's just a journal, who cares if they take a peak and tease you? It's not worth getting hurt over."

She smiled to herself and looked at the fireplace, watching how the flames danced against the stone. "Obviously Cynric didn't go into full detail about what we discussed, which is surprisingly relieving."

"What are you talking about, lass?"

"They were teasing me about you, I wrote down my feelings, so I wouldn't act on them. It worked out well, didn't it?"

"You wrote about me?" a small smile flickered across his face, but it disappeared quickly.

"Don't act so surprised, you probably wrote about me too."

"I don't keep a journal."

"Everyone keeps a journal… Why wouldn't you keep a journal?"

"We live with thieves, lass. If I piss off the wrong person all they have to do is take it and then all my secrets are out there, and I have a new reason to keep my private life private." He shared a look with her before he cleared his throat. "Tell me what those guards did to you and I assure you they'll be dealt with."

"They poisoned me, one of them beat me and Cynric watched as one choked me through the bars. You're not planning on going into Castle Dour, are you?"

"No lass, the Guild has connections that will take care of it for us. I just don't like the thought of you being harmed, not just you but anyone from our family."

"You don't have to worry about me, I know how to take care of myself."

"I don't doubt that for a second."

She nodded and went silent for a moment. "This might sound stupid, but I'm going to ask anyway… Do you think anyone would notice if I just spent the night here? This bed is much better than the one in the cistern and I don't really want everyone asking me every detail about my jail time."

Brynjolf smiled and shook his head. "It's late, most of them will be asleep so I think you'll be fine to stay here."

"Do you want to stay? It could be the last time we see each other for a while."

"I can't lass, if anyone notices that both of us are gone…"

"But you said that most of them will be asleep. Gods know that you could use a decent night's sleep in a good bed too." She reached over to him and tucked some of his hair behind his ear.

"Fine," he rolled his eyes and smiled happily, "I'll put the fire out, you get into bed."

She smiled and kicked the boots back off her feet, she took the armour off her body quickly and climbed into the warm bed with a grin on her face. As soon as Brynjolf climbed in beside her, she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

"I could get used to this."

"It's a small luxury, isn't it?" he petted her head, running his fingers through her long, brunette hair.

"Soon we can do this every night." She said quietly as she started to drift off.

"I hope so lass." He watched her until she fell asleep, listening to the sound of her breathing as it became heavier. He was content having her in his arms, he knew she was safe; he just couldn't help but feel guilty, if he just trusted his instinct she wouldn't have got hurt.

* * *

By the time Elsie woke from her first peaceful night of sleep since arriving at the Guild, she found that Brynjolf was already gone. She read his note that he left by her bedside and put her cold armour on. She didn't know where Delvin was going to send her or what he planned on making her do, whatever it was she was ready for it. It had been a long time since she done minor jobs, it took the pressure off her to perform well. Since day one she felt like she was constantly proving herself and now she had been given the opportunity to slack off a little bit.

When she stepped into the cistern, no one really said anything to her; most of them were probably still half asleep and exhausted. She found Delvin at the corner table in the Flagon with a cup of mead in front of him and a loaf of bread in his hand. She sat across from him and raised an eyebrow.

"That's a healthy breakfast." She rested her head on her hand and watched him stuff the rest of the loaf into his mouth.

"When you get to my age, you just eat what you want. Now, Odin tells me that you're going to be doing some of my jobs for me. For someone like you, it'll be easy money."

"That's what I like to hear, what am I going to be doing?"

"What I want you to do is to go into every city and change the ledgers in these businesses," he handed her a piece of paper with the business names and the figures he wanted in the books, "I hope you're good at writin'."

She read through the information and noticed that he wasn't sending her to Solitude. "So, everywhere but Solitude then?"

"I'll take Solitude myself, I've got to keep busy in my old age." He gave her a smile as if he was hiding something and got up quickly from his chair. "I'll walk you to the stables."

She stood in front of him and folded her arms across her chest. "Why aren't you sending me to Solitude?"

"It's too risky for you, guards will still recognise you. Besides, Odin and Brynjolf want to keep you out of harm's way." He tried to step around her, but she followed his movement. "What else do you want me to say?"

"What did Brynjolf say to you?"

"He didn't have to say anything," Delvin dropped the tone of his voice and moved her out of Vex's earshot, "I could see that there was something there between you two, you're the only woman that's been able to hurt his feelings and then I realised he went to see you at the river and he didn't come back for a long time."

"So, he didn't tell you a thing?" she unfolded her arms and dropped them to her side.

"No and I won't let him know that I know. He's my best friend, Elsie and I want him to be happy again. When the Guild started to go bust and then Mercer betrayed us; he hid inside himself. The Brynjolf that could convince us to steal a sweet roll from a beggar faded into a man with no drive."

Elsie nodded and placed her hands on her hips. "How did you feel by Mercer's betrayal?"

He shook his head and stared her straight in the eye. "I could've killed him myself. I'm not an angry man but what he did turned me into one."

She put the piece of paper into her pocket and slapped Delvin playfully on the shoulder. She felt a little nervous around Delvin, she was going to have to befriend him before she revealed her past to him. "How about we head to the stables before you start getting too angry?"

"Good thinkin', let's be on our way."

* * *

Delvin readied his horse, watching as Elsie hung around suspiciously; something was up with her and he could tell. As he climbed onto his horse, he called down to her and furrowed his brows. "Where's your horse?"

"I think the stable boy might be getting him; why don't you go on, I'll see you back at the Guild in a month or so."

"I'll wait, I want to make sure you get a good horse and not one on it's last legs. These people here have a habit of giving dodgy steads when we pay for proper horses."

She stared at him and folded her arms across her chest, she was going to have to embarrass herself and tell him the truth. "Listen, I'm not going to take the horse. I'd rather ride in the carriage."

"Why? That would be very costly to the Guild."

"I'm paying out of my own pocket, I don't expect the Guild to pay for me just because I can't ride a horse."

A grin crept onto Delvin's face, he tried to hold it back, but he couldn't resist. "You can't ride?"

"No, I never learned. I've never had to."

He started to laugh hysterically and gripped onto the reins to steady himself. "I've heard it all now." He started to ride away, saying to himself as he went past her, "Can't ride a horse!"

She sighed and slung her satchel over her shoulder, handing a coin purse to the carriage driver. "Take me to Whiterun before I become a bigger laughing stock, please."

* * *

 **A:N Thank you for all the reviews, I really love this story and I love Brynjolf as a character. Expect much more to come and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	8. VIII: Successes

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **VIII: Successes**

* * *

It had been a month since Elsie left on her tour of Skyrim and with every day that passed, Brynjolf longed to see her again, sitting in the cistern with that mischievous smirk on her face or with Niruin trying to learn how to use a bow. He knew that they couldn't be open about their relationship just yet, but he enjoyed seeing her mesh with the members of their family. His mind hadn't been completely on Elsie, he was doing jobs for Maven so that he could secure the house that Odin desperately needed. He had kept both secrets hidden from the rest of the Guild and he would continue to do so until the time came for everything to be exposed.

"I've got good news and I have bad news, lad." Brynjolf said as he stepped into the Guild master's room.

Odin looked up from his desk and raised a brow. "Start with the good."

"Honeyside is yours, Maven is doing the necessary paperwork to put it into your name."

"Perfect, so what's the bad?"

"When I stepped into that home to make the arrangements that we had discussed, I found a skeever nest and quite a large hole in one of the walls. The little bastards have obviously been using it to escape the cold winter."

"Skeevers are easy to deal with, it'll be fine Brynjolf."

"But the cost to repair the hole is going to throw your budget out of the water."

Odin placed his hand over his face and shook his head. "If I tell Ysolda that I must push this move back, she will have my head. You don't want to see my wife in a foul mood."

"I don't think I do, lad."

"You wouldn't want to, for such a sweet woman she has a furious temper." He got onto his feet and patted Brynjolf on the back. "Thank you for your hard work, I know that Maven can be a bit of a handful, but this is out of your hands now. We'll just have to wait for Elsie to return and rake in the profit of her excursion."

"When are you expecting her to return?"

"She should've been back by now, but Delvin tells me that she takes the carriage which is going to make her journey a lot longer." Odin shrugged his shoulders in frustration and stood over his map of Skyrim. "From her letters, the last place she has to hit is Windhelm if she hasn't already."

"She'll be back in a couple of days then. Don't say anything to Ysolda just yet, have a bit of faith in the lass."

"She needs to learn how to ride a damn horse, Delvin took great pleasure in telling us all about their interaction at the stables."

Brynjolf smiled and placed his hands on his hips. "I don't think I've heard him laugh so hard in years."

Odin returned the smile, snickering slightly under his breath. "Yes, neither do I. But someone's going to have to teach her soon."

"When she comes back to Riften, I'll take her out on a couple of lessons. She'll be riding in no time."

"I'll take your word for it and have a couple of days off as a token of my appreciation for what you did for me."

"I'll use them eventually, I've got a couple of jobs to send Thrynn and Niruin on first."

* * *

Windhelm was a beautiful city, but the countryside around it was even better. She knew she should've been making her way back to the Guild, she had all of the ledgers changed but she hadn't explored this part of Skyrim and her curiosity wouldn't allow her to leave without experiencing everything this city had to offer. It had been a long time since she climbed a mountain, but she was determined to find a ledge to sit and think on.

She gripped hard onto a couple of jutted rocks and gave herself a big push. Her training with the Guild was coming in handy, learning to sneak without her spells meant that her footwork was a lot better which meant she was less likely to fall. She climbed higher and higher, determined that she was going to get closer to the stars. The night sky in Skyrim was a lot nicer than what she saw at High Rock; the weather wasn't always as crisp and clear, and the constant cloudiness impaired her vision of the constellations. Once she had made it to a large enough space, she put her back pack down and rested her head upon it. Seeing all the lights made her feel like she was closer to her god, Magnus; it was controversial for her to follow his religion here in Skyrim and in the Guild, but every time she cast a spell, it was as if Magnus was casting his graces onto her. Elsie realised that as her ties to the Guild became stronger, she would lose her faith in Magnus. She wanted to take this time alone to have one last close encounter with him.

She must've drifted off to sleep as she watched the stars dance because the rain woke her from her nap. As she sat up, she heard a commotion going on from below and as she peered over the cliff face, she could see a couple of bandits holding a carriage hostage. An elderly man sat on the carriage, grasping onto the reins of his horse in fear as the bandits circled him.

"Please, I don't have any money on board, just food and some wine. I have to deliver these to the Palace of Kings."

"Shut up, old fool or I'll shut you up for good." The bandit, obviously the leader nodded for one of the others to check the back of the carriage while the other reached into his satchel for any valuables.

"No, please. I need that money!"

Elsie crouched down and looked for a quick and easy way down. She wasn't going to let that elderly man lose his life over a couple of carrots and a bottle of red.

"Silence him already." One of the bandits cried out.

* * *

She slid down a relatively flat surface of the mountain and fired a couple of fireballs at the bandits, making them jump back. When the spotted her, they swarmed her. She threw a couple of lightning runes onto the ground and watched in delight as it knocked a few back. She took the daggers that she carried and threw them at two of the bandits, hitting them in the neck. She sprinted towards the leader, glancing at the two bandits chasing her with a smirk before she launched herself into the air, avoiding their arrows and landed on top of the carriage, spooking the old man in the process. The bandit leader stepped towards her with a Warhammer drawn while the remaining two bandits approached her with their bows ready to fire a shot.

"You're surrounded, give up while you still have a chance."

"Do you really think I'm going to let you mug this man?" she said with a raised brow.

"I recognise that armour, you're from the Thieves Guild. Why are you stopping us from taking a couple of things for ourselves? Are you that greedy that you want it all to yourself?" the bandit leader smirked at her, his eyes digging into her. "I'd share it with you, you know? Take you back to my camp and show you a good time."

She scoffed and looked at the two lower level bandits, winking at them before she set them on fire. She held onto the old farmer as he tried to run but she calmed him down with another spell. "I'm going to have to decline your offer."

The bandit leader, enraged with the thief swung his Warhammer at her, missing her by inches as she jumped onto the floor, ducking under the iron. By the look of his clearly stolen armour, it was heavy, and fire wasn't going to penetrate it. She scrambled along the floor and quickly looted the burnt bodies of the bandits and pulled a sword from one of their sheath's. The leader charged towards her, but she blocked the majority of his attack with the sword. She turned to the farmer as she tried her best to push the bandit away from her and shouted, "Get out of here!" she turned her attention back to the bandit as her arms buckled against the force of his attack. She swung the sword furiously, hoping for something to land on him but the metal bounced off his armour. With one hand focused on blocking his attack, she used her other to cast runes in front of her; frost, fire and lightning. One of them had to damage him. When one took an affect on him, staggering him momentarily, she took the opportunity to cast her invisibility spell.

"Where are you, you little bitch?" he called out, circling the spot he was standing on. He tried to lay eyes on her, but she was gone. Before he realised where she was, she came down at him from above, her sword pointed down and as the sword slid harshly into his shoulder he fell to the ground. The blood was everywhere, it was all over her.

She threw down the sword and fell to her knees beside the bleeding body of her victim. Elsie had no idea where she pulled the courage from to fight the bandits but saving that man felt good. There had to be some honour amongst thieves, stealing from someone is one thing but letting someone die was another thing entirely. Her head started to become light and when she looked down at her side, she noticed blood seeping through her armour. Before she could heal herself, her vision became blurry and before she knew it, she was out cold.

* * *

When Elsie opened her eyes, she was staring at the sky once more, but the rain had stopped. She blinked a couple of times before she looked around, that's when she noticed that she was on a carriage. She looked at the person sitting in front of her and noticed that it was the old man she had saved and tried to sit up.

"Just you lie down, you took a pretty nasty hit." He reached behind him without taking his eyes from the road and pushed her back down.

"I thought I told you to run?" she groaned out.

"You did, and I took your advice. I thought you were dead when I came back down the road, but I heard you let out this little cough. I think you were choking on your own tongue." He stated with a little chuckle. "You did a brave thing for me, I owe you my life. The least I can do is take you back to where you belong and bandage you up a little bit."

She ran her hand over her side and patted it gently, feeling the stiffness of a bandage around her. "Thank you but I'm a fair bit away from home."

"I know, I heard those damned bandits mention the Thieves Guild. Now I don't agree with what you folk do to earn your money, but as I said, taking you back to Riften was the least I could do." The man let out a grunt and a hint of a laugh. "I thought you thieves had no good in you."

"We have a code and I have a moral compass."

"Times are tough here in Skyrim, I'm glad someone in these parts still think with morale. Our ancestors would be turning in their graves if they saw brothers fighting on opposing sides, killing each other over who? The Thalmor?"

"Who's even winning this war anyway?"

"I suppose you don't pay much attention to affairs, being an outsider and all… The only people winning this war are those damned High Elves. They want to make Skyrim weak and take over."

She let the old man rambled on about the civil war, she was too tired and too sore to respond to him. Elsie closed her eyes and wished that she would sleep through the rest of her journey. She was alive after her first fight and she counted that as a success. She was still breathing and that was more reason than enough to be happy, she had someone to go home to and that kept her going.

* * *

Odin waited by the city gates for his wife, she was due to arrive today to see the house that they were going to raise their child in. Once he put his eyes on her, he rushed to her side and swept her up, planting a kiss on her lips. Ysolda looked up at the city gates and raised a brow.

"I guess Riften will do. Ma'dran always said that Riften was a good place to start with the skooma trade. I bet I could fetch a fair price for my wares." She looped her arm through her husband's and followed him into the city.

"Once this city rubs off on you, you'll see exactly why I love it so much." He looked down at the small, red headed woman and smiled. "Where do you want to go to first, the cistern or Honeyside?"

"Let me see where you spend most of your time and finally meet this Brynjolf I've been hearing so much about."

"I think he's excited to meet you; the whole Guild is. They'll welcome you into the family. Perhaps you can set up a stall at the Flagon."

"One day, maybe when our child grows up."

* * *

He took her through the secret entrance and escorted her down the tunnels. When Ysolda walked into the cistern, she was greeted by many of the Guild members. A man in black armour approached her with a small bald man and a blonde Imperial behind him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, lass. I've heard so much about you. I'm Brynjolf and this is Delvin and Vex."

"I've heard much about you too, Brynjolf. Odin never stops telling me how you took him under your wing." She looked up at Odin, rolling her eyes playfully at him.

"He's always had my back, I'm lucky to have him as my second in command."

Although Brynjolf usually received recognition for his work from Odin, to hear him say it in front of Ysolda and the rest of the Guild, it felt very rewarding. Brynjolf bowed his head slightly, taking in the compliment with a smirk.

"Vex, tell Vekel to prepare something good for Ysolda, I'm sure her journey has been long and tiresome."

"It's nice to see you." Vex said to her as she walked past, heading towards the Flagon.

"While Vekel makes his stew, how about you tell us how you met this lovely lady?" Delvin said from behind Brynjolf with a cheeky smirk.

"Yes lad, I don't think you've ever told us the story."

When Ysolda looked up at him with her bright eyes, Odin caved in and started to show his softer side. "We met while I was visiting Whiterun. Before I joined the Guild, I fulfilled my destiny as the Dragonborn. I was fresh out of Helgen and was directed to Whiterun. Ysolda was standing in the market place and as I stepped past her I thought that she was the loveliest woman I had ever laid eyes on."

"It was an instant attraction between us," she looked up at Odin and beamed at him, "even though you look like bit of a brute."

He rolled his eyes and continued with his story. "Ysolda was panicking about some mammoth tusk and told me her story and I knew that I had to help this woman, so I found what she needed. When I returned we had the chance to get to know each other a little better."

"We fell in love quickly and were married by the end of the month. Of course, when he whisked me away to Falkreath to live in his home, I never expected that I would only see him once in a blue moon; but he reminded me that he had a family here too."

"Did you hear that, Bryn? The boss has a soft spot for us." Delvin nudged Brynjolf and threw a playful look towards Odin.

"Okay, that's enough story telling for one day. Get back to work Delvin. If you're interested in getting better acquainted with Ysolda, have some dinner with us."

Brynjolf nodded and followed them through the cistern. "I'd love to, lad."

"Where are you from, Brynjolf?" Ysolda asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"I'm from Shor's Stone. It's not too far from here."

"I had no idea that you were from The Rift." Odin said, sounding surprised.

"I've lived around Riften my whole life, I don't think there's a place I'd rather be, lad."

"Do you still live in Shor's Stone or do you have a place here?"

"I live in the cistern full time. Someone must keep an eye on these people. You have no idea how dangerous the pranks can get between Rune and Thrynn."

"I'm sure your wife isn't pleased with you and all the nights you pull in here." Ysolda said innocently, she knew nothing about Brynjolf's personal life. Not even Odin did, he knew bits and pieces but most of it was speculation.

"I don't have a wife, it's just me down here."

"He's sweet on our newest recruit though," Odin said quietly, making sure that no one could overhear them, "but that's between the three of us."

"Oh," Ysolda smiled at Brynjolf and held the door of the Flagon open for him, "I wish you and this woman well."

"I appreciate it, lass."

"Is this new recruit the one that outsmarted you?"

"I wouldn't call it outsmarted, but yes she is."

"I would like to meet her, I can tell by what you've told me of her that we'll become fast friends." Ysolda wanted nothing more than to set up her life here and if she was to stay in Riften, having a friend wouldn't be a bad thing.

"When she comes back from her adventure, you can meet her." Odin replied with a warm smile.

As Brynjolf watched the husband and wife chat amongst each other, forgetting that Brynjolf was still behind them and fazing out the rest of the people around them, he wondered if he could have that with Elsie or would their relationship fizzle out like every other relationship he had?

* * *

 **A:N Thank you for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoyed seeing a little more about Odin, with Ysolda arriving in Riften I plan on showing a lot more of him than just the role of the Guildmaster. Thank you for all of the reviews, I appreciate each one of them!**


	9. IX: The Kindness of Strangers

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **IX: The Kindness of Strangers**

* * *

With every day that passed, Brynjolf worried more and more about Elsie. He didn't know if she had run away or if she was hurt. He would've heard by now if she was dead; a corpse in Thieves' Guild armour would've got back to them quickly. He was driving himself mad with worry but with Ysolda being in the cistern, nobody really noticed how worried Brynjolf was and no one noticed how long it was taking Elsie to return. He had no idea where to start looking for her, all he could do was wait impatiently for her return. He tried his hardest to involve himself in conversations with Odin, Ysolda and the rest of the family, but it was so difficult to do when his mind was going a mile a minute. He prayed for her safe and swift return.

* * *

When she woke up she was staring at an old woman who was pressing a cold, wet rag onto her forehead. The woman stopped her from jumping out of the bed and gave her a comforting smile. Elsie had no idea who this woman was or where she was, but she assumed that she was at the old man's house and this had to be his wife. She tried her best to relax but she knew that she had to get back to the Guild as soon as possible.

"Toldar, she's awake." The old woman called out as she removed the rag from Elsie's face.

The old man approached the bed with a small smile and sat on the stool beside her. "I thought you were a goner."

"Where am I?"

"You're at my house. You passed out again and I had to pull over to check up on you. You were bleeding through your bandages."

Elsie nodded and remembered falling asleep during his boring lecture about the war. "How long have I been here?"

"Three days, you lost a lot of blood in the back of my carriage and you've been in and out of consciousness."

"Well, thank you for everything that you've done for me."

"No, thank you," the old lady said from behind her husband, she put her hands on his shoulders and watched as Elsie sat up a little, "you could've let those bandits kill my husband, but you saved his life."

"It's fine," Elsie nodded and glanced down at her side, "I appreciate you two fixing me up, but I really need to get back to Riften."

"Let me ready the horse and I'll take you back to Riften." Tolfdar got back onto his feet and hobbled slowly towards the door.

Elsie swung her legs off the bed slowly and struggled hard to put her weight onto her legs. "No, it's okay. I can get my own way back to Riften. Stay with your wife, you've helped me enough."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and walked towards the door. "I'm certain, take care of yourselves and try not to get into trouble, again." Elsie patted the man on his shoulder and waved at his wife before stepping back into the cold world.

* * *

She wasn't strong enough to heal herself fully, but she had reversed most of the damage that the bandit caused; she couldn't remember the feeling of getting hit, perhaps it was because she was filled with adrenaline. She wished she had that adrenaline again so that she didn't have to feel the throbbing pain in her feet as she hiked it the whole way back to Riften. Elsie almost collapsed at the city gates, but she knew that the guards weren't going to be as kind to her as that elderly couple, so she waited until she got into the cistern before collapsing.

He heard the entrance open and went to investigate and then he heard a thud. Brynjolf ran over and scooped Elsie up into his arms, he was relieved to see her, but he wished she was in better spirits. He took her into his private quarters before anyone could see her in this state and lay her down carefully on his bed, propping her head up with a couple of pillows. She came around quite quickly and smiled meekly at him.

"Brynjolf," she whispered weakly.

"Don't speak lass, just get your rest." He stroked the top of her head before placing a kiss onto it. "Do you need something to eat or drink?" when she shook her head he let out the anxiety he had been having for weeks. "You had me so worried. I thought you might've run away or something."

"I wouldn't do that, not to you." She looked up at him and took his hand. "I stopped bandits from robbing an old man… One of them got a good hit on me." She motioned to her side and followed his eyes to her abdomen.

"Can I look at the damage?"

"It's mostly healed." She said as she lifted her armour revealing the partially healed scar the Warhammer left. "I only got some of my strength back so it's still a little raw."

He crouched down to get a closer look at her wound, tutting as he examined it. "I need to clean that before it gets infected."

She watched him leave the room and looked at the wound for herself, she hadn't saw how bad it was; all she saw was the blood seeping through the armour. The scar was going to run down her whole side and as the skin slowly started to knit back together, it itched. When he came back with some cloth, a bowl of water and new bandages she knew that she was going to be in good hands; Brynjolf had obviously done this before.

"Sorry for worrying you."

"I'm just glad you made it back here alive. I'm sure you've realised by now that Skyrim isn't the safest place to be." He glanced at her face as he dabbed at the remainder of her gash.

"Is anywhere a safe place to be? Bandits are everywhere and if you aren't worried about the bandits then maybe the bears will get you."

"Why did you save that old man? You could've just turned the other way."

"Would you have let him die for a couple of bottles of wine?"

"No, I can't say that I would've."

She put her arms behind her head, letting out the odd wince as he touched her side. "If he hadn't have come back down that road I probably would've die. He tried to get me back here but apparently I wouldn't stop bleeding."

"Sounds like you lost a lot of blood, lass. I don't know how you're still breathing."

"Because I've got something to fight for now." She looked at the ceiling and felt Brynjolf's gaze on her face. "I knew you'd be waiting here for me and I don't plan on leaving you high and dry."

He smiled to himself and helped her to sit up. "Put your arms up." When she did what she was told, he wrapped the bandage a couple of times around her body and tied it extra tight. "Get some sleep, I'll come by to check out you soon."

"Stay with me, no one knows that I'm back and I haven't saw you in over a month. I almost died, the least you could do is hold me while I sleep."

"You're going to get us exposed." He stepped around the bed and lay down beside her, holding her close to his body.

"Right now, I don't care if anyone walks in. I'm with you and that's all I want."

He nuzzled the back of her neck and found peace in having her back in his arms, but it would only be a matter of time before one of them was sent out on another task. "I can't stay for long; Odin's wife is in the Flagon."

"His wife? What's she like?" she mumbled almost incoherently as she nodded off.

"She's a lovely woman, says she can't wait to meet the woman that outsmarted her husband."

"Can I meet her in the morning?"

"Only if you're up for it, lass. Your health is more important." He looked down at her as she drifted into her much needed slumber before placing a soft kiss on her temple. He got up carefully and wrapped a blanket around her body, she needed to keep the heat in her body if she was going to heal quickly.

* * *

When he stepped back into the Flagon, the Guild were enjoying a hearty meal and the mead was flowing. Brynjolf took a seat beside Delvin and placed a hand on his shoulder as his friend passed him a large tankard filled to the brim with the bitter liquid.

"What did I miss?"

"Odin announced his news, a baby Brynjolf. There's nothing more beautiful than a sprog being brought into the world." Delvin slurred drunkenly with a grin. "Well, I could think of a few things…" he said as he glanced over at Vex with a longing gaze.

Brynjolf squeezed his shoulder a little harder to bring his attention back to the table. "Don't make it to obvious, Delvin. Our little Vex is still reeling over your game of eye spy at the river."

"Everyone's lives are moving on and I'm still the same old Delvin."

"Do you really see yourself raising kids?" Brynjolf raised a brow at him as he placed the tankard to his lips.

"I suppose not, but the fleeting thought is nice." Delvin nudged Brynjolf in the side and shot him a playful grin. "What about you? When is your big day?"

"What on earth are you talking about now?"

"You know what I'm talking about… You and our little mage?"

"And who told you that?"

"I have eyes and I know you better than you know yourself, Bryn. Besides, I kind of squeezed a little bit of information out of her but don't worry, your secret affair is safe with me."

"You can't really be picturing me standing in the Temple of Mara already, lad? We've only been together for what feels like five minutes."

"Oh, come on now, Brynjolf. You and I both know that you dream of little kiddies of your own."

Brynjolf took a long gulp and slammed his half empty tankard onto the table. He wiped the suds from his face and shook his head. "I'm too devoted to the success of this Guild to let myself be distracted. In a way, this Guild and our goals is my child. I want to see her flourish."

"Do you know what your problem is? You're scared to take a step back. Look at Odin," Delvin turned Brynjolf's attention to their leader and his wife as they shared whispers in the corner of the Flagon, "if he can lead and build a life then surely you can."

Brynjolf watched for a moment before he looked back at Delvin. "He had a life before he came here, and he found a good woman."

"You've got a good one too, Bryn."

"I know but I'm just worried that she might change her mind about me. I don't have the best track records when it comes to relationships."

Delvin shrugged his shoulders and patted Brynjolf on the thigh. "If it's meant to be, you and her will work."

"Didn't think you were a big believer in destiny."

"Who else can I put the blame on?"

* * *

The music played well on into the night and the drunker that the Guild members got, the louder they became, and it was hard for Elsie to get her sleep if she was going to be continuously woken up by cheers and singing. What would be the harm in joining them for a couple of hours? She held her side as she hobbled into the Flagon and smiled as she watched Vekel and Vipir dance around the tables. She even caught a glimpse of Vex laughing with Cynric and Niruin. She took a couple of steps before collapsing as gracefully as she could onto an empty chair. She let out a staggered breath as she looked around for a drink, but every tankard was dry. She looked up at the shadow that loomed over her and smiled at Delvin as he took the seat beside her.

"Where have you been hiding? You had everyone worried."

"I ran into a little bit of trouble, but I'm back." She smiled at him and swivelled in her seat so that she could look him in the eye.

"I'm glad you're back, you even had me spooked."

"I didn't think you cared that much about me." She rested her head on her hand and watched as Delvin investigated his empty cup.

"Of course I care, you've gave me a lot of laughs at your own expense."

"Don't you worry, once I'm healed I'll learn how to ride a horse."

"Yes, Brynjolf mentioned your nasty gash. Why are you up? I thought you were supposed to be sleeping?"

"Couldn't miss a good party, could I?" she looked around the room and caught Brynjolf watching her from the side of the room. The only thing that was keeping him where he was, was Thrynn's drunken rambling.

"See, you're a girl after my own heart. I told Brynjolf that you were a keeper." He wagged his finger at her, almost falling face first onto the table. "Can I ask you question? Answer me honestly."

"Depends what the question is."

Delvin looked up at her and shot her a half smile. "Can you ever see someone like yourself getting involved with an old fool like me?"

Elsie placed her hand on his back and gave him a sympathetic smile, she could tell that he was only asking her advice because of his state. "If I were you, I would turn your gaze away from Vex because she can't see the good in you." Elsie got out of her chair unsteadily and moved her hand back to her side. "Get yourself a small-town girl, she'd appreciate you more."

"Happen to know any?"

She smiled at made her way towards Brynjolf, calling out, "Small towns aren't my thing."

* * *

"Look who it is, the wanderer." Odin said as he put his heavy arm around Elsie's shoulder. "Where did you run off to?"

"I had a little hiccup, don't worry though, I didn't botch anything."

"Oh, I'm aware because the gold has been flowing. I'm glad you're here, maybe you can give my wife some company. She can't really drink right now."

"Oh really, why not?" Elsie looked up at Odin as he steered her away from Brynjolf.

"You haven't heard? I'm going to be a father." He said proudly.

"Congratulations, this is a really big thing. I'm happy for you." She nodded as she approached the table Ysolda was sitting at.

"Odin, who have you brought me now?" Ysolda said tiredly as she looked at Elsie.

"This is our newest recruit, Elsie the Fearless. Better known as the thief that made me look like an idiot."

Ysolda's mood picked up as she eyed up the woman she had wanted to meet. "Come, take a seat with me. I think the two of us are the only sober ones here."

Elsie sat beside her and extended her hand towards her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure I'll be seeing you around here more often."

"Yes, well we are permanently moving into Riften, so I hope to see you around."

"What do you think of the city so far?"

Ysolda shrugged her shoulders a little and looked at the brunette thief with kind eyes. "It's just another city, they're all the same. I'm sure they're nothing like the cities in High Rock."

* * *

Brynjolf watched Elsie from his spot with a concealed smirk, she was fitting in nicely and it made him put the doubts that hovered in the back of his mind about her to rest. He knew he shouldn't have worried about her running away from the Guild but with a start like hers, it was a possibility that he needed to consider. Her past in Markarth was a reminder about how few she trusted. But, watching her mingle with everyone cemented her position for him; Karliah was wrong to put her in the same boat as the man who fathered her. With each moment that passed and every glance that they shared between them, Brynjolf found it very hard not to fall deeper into his love for her.

"It's nice seeing our women getting along, isn't it?" Odin said as he rested on the wall beside him.

"Our women?" Brynjolf raised a brow at his superior having the same brow raised back at him.

"Don't play dumb, I know that you two are involved and I'll keep it hushed until you make it public knowledge. I want you to know that I support the relationship, you bring out the best in each other. She makes you happy which means you do a better job and you keep her on the straight and narrow."

"I'm going to hazard a guess and say that you've known this whole time, haven't you lad?"

"I was wanting you to come outright and tell me, but I understand why you didn't. It's hard to put a label on things."

"We've labelled it but as you know, her past has a few skeletons that might cause some tension within our family."

"You tell her that when she feels like the time is right to come clean that the two of us will be by her side to support her." Odin clasped his hands and looked away from his friend. "Tides are turning, Brynjolf and I need them to stay that way; it's mainly because of her, yes she cheats a little with her magic, but gold is gold."

"I'll pass on your message but that doesn't mean she'll confess straightaway."

"It'll be something for her to think about, she can't be fully committed to the Guild if she's hiding her past; we all know where each other has been, she needs to step into the light."

* * *

 **A:N How do you think the rest of the Guild will react when they find out who Elsie's father is? Thank you for reading this story of mine and thank you all for the kind reviews, they mean so much to me!**


	10. X: Coming Clean

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **X: Coming Clean**

* * *

She had tossed and turned most of the night, mainly due to her busted side but it had something to do with her past. Mercer haunted her dreams, she didn't know what he looked like, but she heard his voice taunting her in the darkness. When she finally woke, she was covered in sweat, her night dress was drenched and for once she was thankful to be waking up alone. Elsie was tired of having to keep secrets from people she considered as friends and if she was going to move forward with her life, she couldn't live in fear of the past. She tied her hair up tight and kept her old bandage on for the time being; she needed to speak with Brynjolf and get his advice, but she couldn't talk about anything in the cistern. Anyone could over hear their conversation and then it would be game over.

* * *

The out of breath courier ran into the Flagon with fear in his eyes. Brynjolf and Delvin couldn't help but snigger to themselves when they noticed the claw marks on his legs; this young man was obviously new to the job and had no clue about the chest they had set up for letters.

"Is something troubling you, lad? Are you lost?" Brynjolf tried to hide his grin, but he did it terribly.

"A young woman stopped me, asked me to deliver this to you." He waved the letter in Brynjolf's face, standing back when he snatched it from his hand. "Is there a less dangerous way to get out of here? I think those skeevers down there got a taste for my blood."

"You've just got to go the way you came in, but here, if you buy one of Vekel's pies and feed it to them, they might leave you alone." Delvin replied mischievously.

"Great suggestion, thank you, friend."

Brynjolf raised a brow at his friend and shook his head. "You know that the residents of the Ratways go crazy for his pies."

"I know, maybe one of those crazy beggars might take pity on him and help the poor courier out."

"Or maybe they'll tear him apart." Brynjolf watched the courier naively walk back towards the Ratways and let out a sigh as he opened his letter.

"Anything for a bit of entertainment, Bryn. Who's writin' ya now?"

"Elsie, she wants me to meet her at the river." He summarised as he put the letter into his pocket.

"Oh, a little, sneaky rendezvous. How long are the two of you going to keep this up?" Delvin watched as Brynjolf gathered his things together, noticing how he seemed to drop everything when he knew she wanted to see him.

"For as long as she wants to. Some people want to keep their private life private, unlike you who leaves Vex's death threats all over the Flagon." He started to walk towards the cistern with urgency. "If anyone needs me, tell them I'm out on a task."

"You can count on me, Bryn."

* * *

By the time Brynjolf arrived at the riverbank, Elsie had been in and out of the water. She glanced up at him as she wrapped a clean bandage around her side and smiled at him. He took the place beside her and pressed a kiss onto the side of her head. He understood why she was taking some time away from the cistern; with an injury that bad you need as much rest as possible. He just missed seeing her face every day.

"How is it healing?"

"A lot quicker now that I have a potion to help, I've just got to keep it as clean as possible." She tied the bandage and lowered her armour back onto her body. "Did you read all of my letter?"

"I read every word, lass. Why now? What is possessing you to come clean with everyone?"

She shrugged her shoulders and played with a loose piece of grass. "I'm having these nightmares and these horrible thoughts, I know it's my father from beyond the grave, messing with me."

"Even if it was Mercer's voice tormenting you, why would he pick on you?"

"Did Mercer need a reason for anything? The voice in my head is right though; if I leave this any longer then the rest of the Guild are going to think that I've tried to hide this from them to be deceiving and not for the real reason."

"Everyone in that Guild has family outside of here, some of them have stories like yours, lass. If none of them can see that you hid this because you're hurt, then there's something seriously wrong." He tried to support her as best as he could; he wasn't going to mislead her. He wanted her to thrive.

"There are two people that I worry about the most. Apart from you and Odin, they have the most influence in the Guild. Vex has always hated me and I know for a fact that she will take great pleasure in turning everyone against me. The other is Delvin. Like you, Mercer was a mentor to him."

"Delvin likes you, if anything he'll react how I did; with compassion and an understanding."

Elsie looked at Brynjolf and touched his cheek with the back of her hand. She wanted him to be right, but she knew that he wasn't. "You get it because you have feelings for me. These people don't have the same connection with me."

"We're a family, Elsie and we'll work through it together. Even Odin said to me that he is willing to stand with you when you tell the Guild."

"I'm not going to tell anyone with the two of you looming over me. I'll speak to people one on one and start with the easiest people like Niruin and Cynric. Then I'll make my way to Delvin and Vex."

"Are you sure, lass?"

"It's the only way I can see myself walking out of that cistern alive." She placed both hands on his face and pecked his lips sweetly. "Will you walk me back to the Guild?"

He gazed into her eyes and nodded. "I'll walk you anywhere."

"And when I'm done, will you take me riding?"

He smiled and got onto his feet before pulling her onto hers. "Of course, it's about time that you learned."

* * *

The nerves were eating away at her, she knew that Niruin would be the easiest to talk to, but he still put her on edge. When she took him to the side of the room, away from the rest of their family, he was confused and could sense how anxious she was. He placed his hand on her shoulder and furrowed his brows.

"Is everything okay, Elsie? You don't look well at all."

"There's something I need to tell you, it's not going to be easy for me to say." She clasped her hands and looked down at the floor. "Mercer Frey was my father, that's why I had so much interest in getting back at him before I joined the Guild. I never met him, he abandoned me before I took breath, but I just thought you should know." She blurted out quickly. The sooner it was out in the open, the sooner she could breathe again.

"You're a Frey?" he sounded shocked as he took his hand of comfort away from her. It seemed like he was contemplating something but decided against it. When he looked back at her he gave her a comforting smile. "I thought I recognised you when you first arrived here; obviously you're easier on the eye than he was but the family features are there."

"You're not going to stop being my friend, are you?"

"Why would I? He betrayed this family, not you. It wouldn't be fair of me to place blame on someone who wasn't around. You're not going to burden me alone with this, are you?"

"I plan on telling everyone today, just don't mention it to anyone yet. Once everyone knows, you can talk about me until your heart is content."

"I wish you luck, a lot of these thieves aren't going to be as forgiving as I am but thank you for entrusting me with this information." He bowed slightly at her before he left her alone to work out the rest of her strategy.

* * *

Most of her fellow Guild members were sympathetic when it came to her past, some even knew before she said anything; her desperation for his things could only come from someone that either romanced him or was related to him in some sort of way. The rest thought she was joking until they really looked at her and like Niruin, saw some resemblance. It was the best reaction she could've got but she still had Delvin and Vex to tell, and she didn't know if she should tell her enemy or her friend first. When she stepped into the Flagon, she saw Delvin sitting at his usual table and Vex standing at the back of the room, arms folded and a scowl on her face. She took in a deep breath and sat down beside Delvin, tapping him on the shoulder.

"There she is, how was your dip?" he said with a smirk.

"Refreshing as always," she looked around the room quickly before turning to him once more, "I need to speak with you."

He could see how nervous she was, her pupils were so contracted that it looked like she didn't have any. "What is it? Has something happened to Bryn?"

"No, Brynjolf is fine. He's in the cistern. It's something that's very important and I'm just scared to see how you react."

"Well spit it out and you'll see for yourself."

She let out her breath and placed her head in her hands. "I don't know how else to tell you, I can't beat around the bush with this… I'm Mercer Frey's daughter." She looked up at his angry and shocked face. She immediately feared for the worst outcome and went to put her hand on his shoulder, he shrugged her off.

"This whole time, I've been making friends with and worrying about Mercer's daughter? I can't believe this, I don't believe this. You're telling a cruel, cruel joke." When she shook her head at him, he lowered his head and gripped onto his tankard, knocking back his drink. "Have you kept this from Brynjolf?"

"He's known for a while. Can I please tell you my side of the story?"

"No, I don't want to hear it." Delvin got out of his seat, knocking it over violently. It drew attention to the two of them and it piqued Vex's interest. "I think you should stay away from me for a long, long time."

She dropped her head and grasped her hands under the table as he stormed out of the Flagon, slamming the door to the cistern behind him. This was how she expected Vex to react, not Delvin. She still had to break the news to her and she knew it was going to be worse than this.

* * *

Delvin stormed up to his friend, an angry glare and a fist ready and waiting but when Brynjolf turned and looked at him, he quickly relaxed his hand. They stared at each other for a moment, Delvin staring at him with pure rage and Brynjolf with an expecting look.

"Whatever you have to say to me Delvin, just say it."

"You knew who she was, and you still got with her? Are you out of your mind, Bryn? You know what Mercer did to us." He poked him harshly on the shoulder, knocking him back slightly. "You out of all of us should've been the angriest."

"Did she do something to this outfit, personally?"

"No but,"

"But nothing, Delvin. You can't blame the lass for who fathered her. Did she tell you her story? Did you actually listen to her?"

"I don't need to listen to the bitch's story to know that she's exactly like her father."

He didn't like the tone that Delvin was using, and he didn't like the vocabulary either. He placed his hands on his hips, widening his stance as he peered down at his friend. "You liked her up until a few minutes ago."

"And I adored Mercer for decades and I was wrong." Delvin stepped into Brynjolf's personal space, not willing to back down. "Just because she spreads her legs for you doesn't mean that you have to defend her or appease her beck and call."

* * *

Vex sat across from Elsie, watching as she rubbed the bad feelings from her face and when they finally made eye contact, Vex gave her the coldest smile.

"What was all of that about?" she crossed one leg over the other and leant against the back of her chair.

"The same thing that I'm about to tell you." Elsie looked away from Vex's glower and tried to pull her courage back together after Delvin shattered it. "I'm Mercer Frey's daughter."

Vex was silent for a hot minute and let out a snicker. "Of course, you are, I should've seen this coming. Where else would you have got your talents of deception and manipulation from?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You stole plans from us and used them to get a place here where you manipulated many people into befriending you all while keeping your backstory a secret. I just knew there was something about you that I couldn't trust. I have and always will be a good judge of character."

Elsie got onto her feet and rested her hands on the table, leaning into Vex. "Then look at me and I mean really look at me, into my soul and tell me that I'm the same as my father."

* * *

Before Vex could answer Elsie's request, they were interrupted by the sound of a brawl in the cistern. There was crashing and shouting; Elsie could hear other Guild members trying to break it up and both women ran in to see Brynjolf and Delvin at each other's throats. She ran towards them, casting a calm spell on the two men and stood in front of Brynjolf, placing her hands on his face so that he wouldn't be tempted to have another swipe at Delvin.

"What are you doing?" she said quietly as he gripped onto her shoulders.

"Why don't you ask him what he said about you, we'll see if he has the guts to repeat it." Brynjolf looked over the top of Elsie's head to see Delvin being tended to by Sapphire and Thrynn.

"I don't care what he said about me, he is your friend and you don't do that to a friend." She looked over his face, noticing the start of a black eye. "We need to put something cold on that eye."

"I'll be fine."

"Please, let me get you something." She reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek, outing their relationship to the stunned Guild.

"Hold on a minute, you and Brynjolf?" Niruin said from the side lines with a smirk. "How did I not see this coming?"

"Why didn't you mention this to me, Brynjolf?" Vex appeared behind Elsie, catching his eye. "We're supposed to be friends too, you know?"

Brynjolf rolled his eyes at her and let go of Elsie. "I don't have to tell you every personal thing that's going on in my life, lass. Is this going to be a problem?" he took the space by Elsie's side and slid his hand into hers.

"You rejected every one of my advances towards you, claiming that it's best to keep things strictly plutonic in the Guild," Vex was emotional, it was the first time that anyone had saw that side of her; they knew she had a soft spot for Brynjolf but no one knew how deep rooted it truly was, "but here the two of you are."

"It's not like that Vex. We spent a lot of time together, we got to know each other in a deeply personal way."

"So, did we, I guess I wasn't really good enough for you." She glanced at the rest of their family and composed herself before helping Delvin onto his feet. "Let's get you fixed up, old man."

* * *

The fresh air was exactly what both of them needed and learning to ride a horse was one of the easiest ways to take Elsie's mind off what went down in the cistern. She smiled as Brynjolf put his arms around her, holding onto the reins as he tried his best to teach her. Once she seemed to be getting the hang of things, he took his hands away slowly and let her take full control of the mare. He couldn't help but laugh as she looked over her shoulder at him, beaming with joy.

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this. Now I know why you all picked on me."

"Just keep your eyes on the road, wouldn't want to collide with the mountains." He rested his hands on her waist and placed a kiss on the back of her neck. "You're a natural at this."

"I just have a great teacher."

"Do you fancy going on a little adventure, lass?"

"That depends, where are you going to take me?" she glanced at him once more.

"It's a secret, but it'll be worth our while."

She smirked and leaned into him as she kept a tight grip on the reins. "Fine, I'll appease your adventurous side for now. You just need to tell me the directions."

He rested his chin on her shoulder and said into her ear, "I'll whisper them to you, no one but us can know where we're going."

"I like the sound of that…"

* * *

 **A:N Out of all the beautiful places in Skyrim, where could Brynjolf be leading her? Thank you so much for all of your reviews and for reading every chapter; I appreciate it so so much!**


	11. XI: Pure Beauty

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **XI: Pure Beauty**

* * *

The roads were quiet, and it gave Brynjolf the perfect opportunity to teach Elsie a few tricks. Just in case she ever needed it, he taught her how to kneel on the saddle as the horse galloped; it was the best way to get out of a tricky situation with a couple of bandits because both knew that trouble is attracted to her just as much as Brynjolf was. Elsie still had no idea where he was leading her, she wasn't as interested in Skyrim's geography as he was; she could tell that he had spent a lot of time discovering new and appealing locations.

"We're here, lass." He jumped off the back of the horse once she had slowed the horse down to a trot and stood with his hands firmly on his hips. "Tie the horse up here and let's head inside."

She looked at the entrance to a cave and raised her brow sceptically. "Do you really think that I'm going to be drawn to anything that's in there?"

"There's nothing more adventurous than a cave; you never know what treasures lie inside." He had a smirk on his face as he pushed his fiery hair from his face. "Just get off the horse and look at the bigger picture."

She dismounted the horse and tied the reins to a post. "And what is this bigger picture?"

"That we made it out of the cistern with our heads in tact and now we're ready to spend a relaxing day together." He held his hand out towards her and when she took it, he pulled her close to his body. "And we deserve it more than anyone else."

She looked up at his bruised face, running her fingertips across his black eye gently. "Tell me something I don't already know." She looked behind him, staring at the entrance to the dark unknown. "Suppose we better go inside then."

He kissed her quickly and let go of her, leading the way with a grin. "Try to keep up."

* * *

The path was narrow and dark, she could barely see anything in front of her, except for the white smile that Brynjolf kept throwing her as he checked over his shoulder to see if she was still behind him. She tried to peer over his shoulder when she noticed a beam of light breaking through the dark and when Brynjolf moved out of her way, she placed her eyes on the most beautiful place she had ever seen. Springs and big, bustling trees filled the landscape. Plants of every description thrived from the soil and from the pilgrims that toured the sight, she knew that this place was something important.

"Welcome to the Eldergleam Sanctuary, lass." He took her hand and delved deeper into the small ecosystem.

Elsie was in awe; she had saw some pretty places throughout her travels, but this sanctuary was something else. "What is this place?"

"It's the home of the oldest and most important tree in Skyrim," he pointed up at the massive roots and just above the start of the guarded walkway, both looked at the amazing tree.

"How did you find out about this place?" she followed him, watching as a monarch butterfly fluttered past her face.

"Anyone that's fascinated by nature knows about this place, lass. When I was a boy, my mother taught me about the importance of nature; she always told me and my sister that there was nothing more beautiful than the sunrise across the plains."

She smiled as she noticed the look on Brynjolf's face, he looked peaceful and in complete bliss. Her heart skipped a beat when he looked back down at her and gave her hand a caring squeeze. "I didn't know that you had a sister. You don't really talk about your family."

"You're one to talk, lass." He said coyly as he sat down on a ledge, staring down at the stream below them. "I have an older sister, Braelie. She moved away when I was still a boy; she fell for some traveller and married him young."

"Do you still see her?"

"I haven't saw her in years, but we keep in contact; I send her some money now and then just to keep her kids fed and watered." He looked at Elsie as she dangled her feet over the edge. "I know that family is probably a hard topic for you to talk about, if you want me to stop…"

"No, I want to hear about your family. I want to know everything about you." She returned his gaze and pulled one of her legs up to her chest, resting her head on her knee. "How many children does your sister have?"

"I have two nephews and a niece. I probably shouldn't admit this, but my niece is my favourite. She's got the same temperament as my mother and it's a nice reminder that my mother is still watching over me."

"When did your mother die?"

"Just before I left for the Guild. I must've been about eighteen. My father had died a few years before her, but her death hit me a lot harder than my father's. I sold the farm I grew up on and moved into Riften. Mercer was the one that took me off the streets and gave me shelter from the winter; that man taught me everything I know."

* * *

She was silent for a moment, a part of her wanted to know more about Mercer but what she heard about him from the Guild put her off knowing anything else about him. She pushed the doubts about his past behind her and allowed her curious mind to ask the questions.

"I know he betrayed you all and I know he did a lot of horrible things, but did he have any redeeming qualities?"

"Your father was my mentor and I saw a different side to him than everyone else; he was a caring man, but he showed it through strictness and tough love. I don't want to get your hopes up in any way but when I found out that you were his daughter, it made a few things fall into place for me."

She furrowed her brow and bit at the skin on her inner cheek. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I always had a feeling that something was missing within him, lass. He acted like he was my father sometimes, especially in my younger years but now, looking back, I think it was his way of showing his regret. I believe he knew that he should never have abandoned you."

She gulped back her emotions and looked away from Brynjolf with a jolt, throwing her head onto her shoulder. He placed his arms around her and let her have her moment to reflect on his words and once she had, she lifted her head and pressed her lips together.

"Are you alright, lass?"

"I'm glad he had the opportunity to be a father figure to someone, perhaps it was destiny's twisted way of building our future."

"Why do you say that?"

"If he hadn't have abandoned me, I would never have gotten myself into so much trouble and he wouldn't have joined the Guild; you would probably still be a beggar on the street and we would've lived our lives without knowing each other." She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes. "Right now, I'm thankful that I have you in my life." She let out a content sigh; she felt safe in his embrace and there was nowhere else she would rather be. "I'm in love with you, Bryn and I pray to the Eight that it's for life."

Her admittance took him by surprise; it was the first time she had told him that she loved him. He had said it plenty of times since the first at the lake, but she had never returned it until now. It cemented things for him because he had that worry that she would leave him for something or someone better.

"I love you too, lass."

* * *

When the light hit her eyes, she squinted and placed her forearm across her head, trying to save herself from the pain. Brynjolf laughed at her as she stumbled towards the path blindly. He grabbed her by the top of her arm and spun her around.

"I have one more place to take you before we head back to the Guild, if you're interested."

"If it's as beautiful as the Eldergleam Sanctuary then, be my guest."

"It's just west of here, we won't need the horse."

He took her hand and lead her towards what looked like an abandoned camp at first but when she looked again, she noticed the hot springs surrounding the rock. There was no one else there but the two of them. He looked down at her with a playful smirk and nodded towards the spring.

"Fancy taking a dip?"

"And let everyone see me without my clothes on? I see that camp there, I know that people are around."

He shrugged and started to unbuckle his boots. "They're probably out hunting, gives us the perfect opportunity to relax." He kicked his boots off and pulled his cuirass over his head. "I'll race you into the spring."

"That's no fair, you're pretty much naked already." She squealed as she tried to get her armour off as fast as possible. She threw down her armour and tiptoed to the edge of the stone, peering down at the spring.

"Jump before I push you in." he teased as he stepped behind her.

She glared over her shoulder and jumped into the spring, allowing herself to go under for a moment. The hot water relieved the aching she constantly felt in her side and when she came back to the surface, she had a nice few of Brynjolf. "Come on, slow poke. Get in."

He raised his brows and took a running jump into the spring, splashing her with the warm water as he went under. He came back up and shook the water from his face. "How nice is this, lass?"

"I could stay here all day." She took her feet from the surface of the spring and let herself float across the surface. "We need to come here regularly."

He watched her with a smile and leant against the edge, his arms resting on the large rock in the middle of the spring. He let his thoughts get the better of him and zoned out for a moment before he felt her touch on his back.

* * *

"What are you thinking?" she placed a couple of kisses along his shoulder blade before she rested her head on him.

"I don't want this to end, we'll probably have to wait a while for another good day." He turned around and wrapped his arms around her waist as he stared into her hazel eyes. "The worst thing about having a relationship in our line of work is the separation and I don't know if I can bear to be away from you. That month you were away felt like an eternity."

"I don't like being away from you either, perhaps Odin will let us accompany each other on tasks that are out of Riften?"

He knew that she was still relatively new to the Guild and didn't understand everything that went on; but Brynjolf was more than just another thief, he was second in command. He couldn't drop all that responsibility, at times he wanted to, but he would never do it unless he was pushed forcefully.

"It's not as easy as that. I have a serious question and I want you to answer me honestly." When she nodded, he tucked her wet hair behind her ear. "What do you see for yourself in the future?"

"Shouldn't you have asked, what do you see for _us_ in the future?"

He smiled ever so slightly. "My mistake."

"I see a lot of gold in our future; more than we can count. I don't want to spend my whole life in the Guild though, I know that the Guild is a family but sometimes you have to fly the coup." She tucked her head underneath Brynjolf's chin and traced her finger along his skin. "If I'm going to step out of this line of work, it'll be for you." She listened to his heart pounding in his chest, finding comfort in the sound; it took a lot for her to open up to him emotionally, she wanted to be completely honest with him. "Can you see yourself stepping away from the Guild?"

"The more time I spend with you, I crave what I've wanted for almost a decade. I used to stand at my market stall and watch happy families stroll around without a care in the world. I see Odin and Ysolda together and soon there will be a new addition and I can't help but yearn for that. Deep down I've wanted that for a long time, there's nothing more precious than your own family."

Elsie lifted her head from his chest and shook her head. "I didn't think that you would've wanted something like that."

"Why would you think that? Because I steal for a living?"

"I've never heard you talk about it."

"The only one that really knows is Delvin. It's something that I don't talk about with everyone, lass. Have you never thought about having your own family?"

"Family scares me. You know that I don't have the best memories of my family and when I went through that phase of picturing myself getting married and having babies, it terrified me. I don't want to disappoint you, Brynjolf but right now and probably for a long time, I have no interest in having children. Is that something that's going to change your perception of me?"

"Of course not, we're speaking freely, and I respect your decision."

She placed her hands on his cheeks, stroking his stubble with her thumbs. "It isn't a no to the possibility, but I need time to think about it. I guess I don't deserve to call myself fearless if I'm this scared of ruining a family before we've even started one."

"History doesn't have to repeat itself, Elsie. I wouldn't let it."

* * *

She bowed her head, hiding the smile that crept onto her face. She took in a deep breath and bit her bottom lip. She knew in her heart of hearts that Brynjolf was a good man and she would be a fool to let him slip away from her grasp. Elsie knew that she shouldn't be scared when it came to her future with him and she had to show him that she too wouldn't let her parent's history repeat with her. "Marry me, Brynjolf."

"Excuse me? Did I hear you right, lass?" her proposal was unexpected, and it knocked the wind out of him.

"I think you heard me perfectly." She entwined her fingers with his and pulled him into the middle of the spring. "I want to be your wife."

"Listen, I know that our conversation became very serious, but don't suggest something you're not sold on. I don't want you to have any regrets."

"How could I regret marrying you when you make me feel so loved and so safe? That's something that I have never felt before. Fate brought us together, it would be stupid to deny that."

"I'll marry you lass, just promise me that you're not going to wish that it never happened."

She pressed a kiss onto his lips and locked her arms around his neck. "That'll never happen."

He placed his hands on the small of her back and secured his legs around his waist as he kissed her again and again. "When we get home, if you haven't changed your mind, we'll head to the Temple of Mara and start the rest of our lives."

She grinned as she noticed a twinkle in Brynjolf's green eyes. Elsie could tell how happy he was, and she hoped that he saw that she was happy too. Their feelings for one another developed quickly, but this country was a dangerous place and Elsie wasn't going to deny herself a chance of real joy, not when she had been so close to the end of her life once before. After the bandit attack that almost claimed her life, she fought with every fibre in her being to get back to Brynjolf. Anything could happen to both thieves; they didn't have the safest jobs in the world and they weren't living in the safest city either.

* * *

 **A:N Thank you for reading this, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's a little shorter than usual but I wanted to focus only on building their relationship before I do something a little unexpected in the next chapter. I enjoyed writing the softer side of Brynjolf's character because I know that there is one there that was hinted in the game. Again, thank you for reading and let me know what you thought of these revelations made.**


	12. XII: She's Dark Sided

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **XII: She's Dark Sided**

* * *

The two thieves looked at each other, the anger was still dripping from their faces. How could Brynjolf allow himself to be tangled up with Mercer's daughter? Did he really think that lowly of the family to let her waltz her way to the top of the pecking order, all because of his feelings towards her? Before Elsie showed up, Brynjolf would never have put his hands-on Delvin and as he sat with a piece of raw meat against his face, he thought that the good old days were over.

"How are we going to get rid of her? We can't let this Guild have another Frey destroy us." Vex said as she crossed her arms. "This friendly act that she's got going on, it's all a façade. She's going to bleed us dry from the inside just like he did."

"I don't know, Vex… She's got Bryn wrapped up in her games now, I don't think he sees it."

"He doesn't, he's in love with the bitch." Her words were pointed, and they came from a place of hurt. She had made her feelings for Brynjolf clear to him from day one, that led the two of them to use each other when they felt like it; but that wasn't what she ever wanted. "We need to go to Odin with this, the Guild has to be disassociated with her."

Delvin shook his head and ran his hand across his bald head. "I can't see him doing that, I'm afraid. If you were Guild master, would you let go of someone who's damn good at bringing in coin?"

There was an air of silence as Vex tried to muster up some sort of a plan. Her eyes roamed the room as she waited for a bright idea to fall into her lap, and when it did, she couldn't help but grin.

"By any chance, do you still have that contact in the Dark Brotherhood?"

His eyes widened, and he recoiled into his chair. "I do, but we are not calling on the Dark Brotherhood to fix Guild business. If we did and Brynjolf found out, he would kill us."

"Fine, I'll drop the notion." She lied as she grabbed her tankard of mead. Vex couldn't help but feel jealous of Elsie; she had Brynjolf's favour and she was getting all the recognition she could've ever wanted. It wasn't fair, she was the one that helped pick the Guild up again when Mercer bankrupted them, not Elsie.

"We're just going to have to suck it up and get on with our lives. Maybe we might get lucky and she leaves of her own free will." Delvin got onto his feet and took the meat from his face. "I better put this back before Vekel notices that it's missing."

Vex shook her head in disgust and rolled her eyes. "Remind me not to have the stew tonight."

* * *

Her notion of employing the Dark Brotherhood was still swirling in her head and her anger towards Elsie wasn't helping. Vex didn't need Delvin to enlist their help, she knew how to do the Black Sacrament and if she didn't do it now, she was going to talk herself out of it. She was doing it for the longevity of the Guild, and maybe for her own personal reasons.

She dug up a skeleton from one of the graves at the secret entrance and picked a couple of the Nightshade flowers that grew around the tombstones. Vex had to make sure that no one could tell that the graves were freshly dug up or she would be outed; she couldn't let that happen. Once the dirt was patted down easily with the back of the shovel, she threw it over the city gates and placed the bones, the heart and the flowers into her satchel and made her way out of the city. Towards the mountains was where she was going to do the Sacrament and as she lay the effigy of Elsie out on the floor, she unsheathed her dagger with a smirk.

"Sweet mother, sweet mother, send your child unto me," she stabbed the heart harshly and closed her eyes, "for the sins of the unworthy must be baptised in blood and fear." She dropped the dagger and got back onto her feet. Now all she had to do was play the waiting game and hope that they answered her call.

* * *

When they returned to the city, they were bursting with excitement to make their way to the temple, but when they returned the horse to the stable, Odin emerged from the shadows with a small smile.

"What're you doing out here, lad?" Brynjolf threw the stable boy a few septims and turned to his Guild master. "You couldn't have missed us that much, we were only gone for a day or two."

"I have a job that I need to get to and I want Elsie to accompany me. While I'm gone, I want you to keep things running smoothly and help Ysolda settle into our home." He paused for a moment and scratched at his chin awkwardly. "I would also like you to settle your differences with Delvin, I wasn't impressed when I heard about what happened Brynjolf, I expect better of you."

"It won't happen again, lad. You have my word."

"It's my fault… I let my secret out and Vex and Delvin didn't take it too well." Elsie admitted as she placed her bag over her shoulder. "Brynjolf was only defending me."

"I'm going to let it slip this time, Brynjolf but the next time a fist fight breaks out,"

"There won't be a second." He interjected with a nod. He looked down at Elsie and gave her a small smile. "We'll continue with our plans when you return."

She sighed and watched as Brynjolf walked away; she could tell that he too was disappointed that she had to leave again for who knows how long. Elsie could feel Odin's curious gaze on her and when she looked up at him, she forced a smile onto her face.

"So, where are we heading, boss?"

"College of Winterhold, a client has expressed great interest in a certain book stored there. I'm going to go in and cause a distraction, I need you and your invisibility to take the keys to the bookcase and secure the mark." He explained as he handed the stable boy a letter. When he returned with two horses, he raised a brow at Elsie and threw a smirk in her direction. "Have you learnt to ride, or do you need to hold onto my waist too?"

Elsie rolled her eyes playfully and loaded her things onto the horse. "I've learned, no need to worry about me touching you up."

"Good because both of us are spoken for." He got onto his horse and began the long journey up north. "Make sure you keep up, we don't need you having another accident."

"I don't go looking for them." She reminded him as she followed Odin along the road. Deep down she was nervous, it was the first time she was going to ride a horse by herself and her first quest with the master; she needed to impress him, she couldn't mess this up.

* * *

Everyone in the Guild was happy to see Brynjolf return, all except one. As Thrynn, Niruin and Sapphire expressed their well wishes for him and Elsie, Brynjolf couldn't help but notice that Delvin was throwing dirty looks in his direction. He sighed and excused himself from the crowd and approached his friend with a stern expression.

"Brynjolf." He said, looking away from his eyes. Now that he was up close, Delvin lost the nerve to look at him.

"Fancy a drink and a bite to eat? We've got to talk about what happened."

He looked at Brynjolf from the corner of his eye and hesitantly nodded. He had no idea what he was going to say to him; was he going to curse him out or was he willing to put what happened behind them and continue with their friendship? Delvin had a hard time reading Brynjolf sometimes, but he regretted some of the things he said, not all of them but some. He wanted to move on and put it behind them.

* * *

They sat in the still as Vekel placed a bowl of stew and a cup of mead in front of both men. It didn't take a genius to pick up on the tension between them and once Vekel had gotten himself out of that situation, Brynjolf turned to Delvin and gave him a teasing smile.

"I really did a number on your face, lad."

"I could say the same thing, haven't saw you with a black eye in a long time." He said into his cup.

"I'll admit it, you got a couple of good hits but what hurt me the most were the things that you said. You know that I'm not with Elsie for sex. If I only wanted that then I would go to the Bee and Barb and chat up a barmaid. I love that lass and you knew that."

"I said that out of anger, Bryn. I may not have heard her side of the story, but I have a feeling that she's going to turn out exactly like Mercer."

"Delvin, you tell me about your feelings and your instincts all the time and you're wrong, all the time. What was it that you said about Vex? That you had a feeling that she liked you?" Brynjolf leaned into his chair, his palms open as he proved his point. "I get that you're sceptical about her, but there's no need."

"Why aren't you sceptical? Why were you happy enough believing everything she spouted at you?"

"Do you know how long it took for her to trust me with her secret? Elsie expected everyone in this Guild to react the way you did and that scared her. Mercer abandoned her before he had even met her, she wasn't even born when he ran off, so she wasn't entirely trusting for most of her life. The pain in her eyes when she told me, that confirmed the truth."

Delvin scratched his stubble as he concluded that he had jumped the gun and made an absolute fool out of himself. "I was all wrong about her then, wasn't I?"

"You think so?" he said sarcastically as he took his first sip of mead. "You should've given her the chance to speak."

"I know, if I could rewind time, I would've listened." He suddenly started to feel guilty about his attempt to get rid of her with Vex's help. He needed to know if she was planning something, but he couldn't out her to Brynjolf, he would exile her. "I'm glad we've talked about this, I'm sorry about everything I said and done."

"It's fine Delvin, it's in the past now." Brynjolf picked up his spoon and started to stir his stew.

"I'll apologise to the girl, let her tell me her story, if she still wants to." He got onto his feet and went to dart off when he remembered about the meat, he had pressed to his face for most of the afternoon. "Uh, Bryn. I wouldn't eat that if I were you."

"Why not?"

"I used the meat to stop my face from swelling." He scuttled off quickly before Brynjolf had the chance to say something smart and went on the hunt for Vex. He hoped she had nothing planned.

* * *

The College was a beautiful place and if Elsie hadn't had been attracted to the life of thievery, she probably would have ended up here instead. Magic always coursed through her veins and she was never going to turn away from that side of her. She didn't know where she had got the love of magic from, her mother never tapped into the power within her. When she dismounted the horse, she looked over at Odin and placed her hands on her hips.

"Do you want me to be invisible from the moment I step into the College?"

"I think that would be better, I don't think Urag would let me into the Arcanaeum if I had you with me." He gave his horse a pat before he took her up the bridge. "How long can you hold your spell? I know that it takes a lot of magika to hold the invisibility spell."

"I'm surprised that you know that; I can hold the spell for up to an hour." She was impressed by Odin's knowledge, but then again, he was the Dragonborn; she didn't know what that meant but she assumed that he had to tap into magika in some sort of a way.

"I dabbled here and there, I was going to apply to the College once upon a time, but like you, I'd rather make gold." He got to the gates and looked at her over his shoulder. "I would start your spell now before anyone notices you."

"I'll stay close by your side, but again, I can only hold it for an hour." She gave him a quick nod and began to cast her spell, sticking as close to his side as possible.

* * *

The main hall was relatively empty, the wizards must've been on another one of their expeditions; it made things a lot easier for Elsie because he wouldn't be dragged into a conversation by the Arch mage. He stepped into the Arcanaeum, holding the door open a little longer than he should've and looked at the Orc that was raising his brow at him.

"Urag, long time no see. How are you holding up?"

"Odin is that you?" he got up from his chair and stepped towards him with the hint of a smile. It was always so hard to tell with the way his teeth stuck out from his mouth. He placed a hand on his shoulder and led him into the middle of the room. "Things are just the same around here. Savos mentioned your problem with a mage, did you get that sorted?"

"I didn't, I never managed to find her again." He lied convincingly as he reached into his satchel. "The reason I'm here is this book," he took a large tome from his bag and handed it to Urag, "I'm wondering if you can find any use for it."

* * *

Elsie began to look around Urag's desk for the key to his bookcases while Odin kept him distracted; if it was on his person then she would have no luck getting it off him, she was always terrible at pickpocketing. Once she had spotted the key, she swiped it quickly and kept low to the ground as she made her way through the bookcases. She was looking for a volume of books called 'The Ysmir Collective', apparently their client wished to make a profit off this stolen book and they were willing to pay a lot of coin; Odin said the money from this quest would bolster the Guild's foothold in Skyrim. It had to be completed.

She set her hands on the books and put them into her satchel quickly. She scurried towards the table and put the key back before Urag could notice that it was gone. She dropped the invisibility spell until Odin made eye contact with her. When that contact was made, she quickly put the spell back up and made her way back to his side.

"Are you willing to give me a fair price for this book, just for old times sake?" he was going to charm his old acquaintance out of whatever money he could.

The Orc thought about his question for second before taking the book from his hand. "I'll give you five hundred, and that is more than fair." He took a coin purse from his pocket and handed it over.

Odin bounced the coin purse back and forth between his two hands. "I'm grateful, Urag. Truly. Perhaps we'll cross paths again?"

"I hope so, and if you ever feel like getting rid of that Elder Scroll, throw it my way."

He nodded and turned towards the door, holding onto the handle. "You'll be the first person I contact."

"Well, that's good enough for me. Have a safe journey back to Riften." The old Urag made his way back to his desk, looking around for his key. He raised his brow when he realised it had been moved and when he looked up to wave Odin off, he was already gone. "Well, that was strange." He sighed as he picked up his key, shuffling towards his bookcases.

* * *

"That was a job well done, Elsie." Odin exclaimed as he looked through her satchel. "We'll make our way back home, stop off at an inn on the way for a bit of grub."

"Thank goodness because I am absolutely starving." She complained as she climbed onto her horse. "I haven't eaten in two days."

"I thought Brynjolf would've took you to an inn?"

"No, we went to the Eldergleam, have you ever been there?" she took the lead down the main road, glancing back occasionally at her boss.

"Once but it was a very long time ago. It's quite the romantic spot, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't say romantic, it is very beautiful but you're too busy gazing at flowers and the tree to do anything." She tightened her grip on the reins as she thought about the prospect of marrying Brynjolf. She was excited, but she couldn't help but feel nervous; her fear was starting to creep back into her.

"I suppose so." Odin went quiet for a moment and made his horse walk a little faster until he was level with Elsie. "I don't want to alarm you, but that Argonian behind us has been following us since we left Winterhold."

She glanced over her shoulder at the hooded Argonian and shrugged. "Perhaps he's going to Riften too?"

"I don't have a good feeling." He looked at her, his eyes narrowed, and his lips pulled close together.

"We'll stay at this inn up the road and we'll see if he enters or not."

"Good thinking."

* * *

They stopped at a tavern in Kynesgrove and tied up their horses. The two thieves waited for the Argonian to pass and once he did, they made their way inside, following the strong smell of freshly made bread with bated breath.

"We'll take two single rooms and a dinner each." Odin said to the woman behind the counter.

"I can't wait to have a hot meal." She said as she took her key from the woman.

"Me neither, I think we both deserve this."

They sat at a table in the corner of the hall and when their dinner was served to them, steaming hot, they mauled at it like wolves to their prey. Odin looked up at Elsie and cleared his throat as he wiped his hands on his trousers.

"There's something I need to say to you before we get back to the Guild."

She kept her head down as she slurped on her soup. "I can already tell what you're going to say but spit it out."

"I know that a couple of our senior members didn't take your news too well and things were said in the heat of the moment; I don't want any grudges held, I'm still going to expect you to be able to work with Delvin and Vex regardless of what was said and done. I've just got the Guild back on an even footing and I can't afford to take a slip in profit."

"I'm not going to hold anything against anyone, I don't know what words were exchanged between Brynjolf and Delvin because he wouldn't tell me, but I understand that Mercer is a very sensitive subject and feelings are obviously tangled into it. As I've said before, I'm with the Guild for the long haul, I want to make coin and I want to do what I do best."

He smiled to himself and nodded at her with a sort of newfound respect for the young woman. It could've been easy for her to turn cold with her superiors, but she was showing her professionalism, he prayed that Delvin and Vex could do the same.

* * *

They called it an early night and made the use out of their rooms; both were exhausted after the long trip from Riften to Winterhold, but Elsie was completely worn out. Between her trip away with Brynjolf and this quest they were on, she was ready for a good night's sleep. As soon as her head hit the feather pillow, she was out like a light. It must've been just before dawn when she was woken by her door opening; she was expecting it to be Odin telling her to get ready to leave, but it wasn't him.

The room was still dark and all she could see was the figure entering her room. She jumped out of bed and got a closer look at the figure as they stepped towards her. It was the Argonian from the night before, but he wasn't wearing his cowl; instead he had a red and black light armour that was so recognisable, even for someone who wasn't from Skyrim. That uniform was everywhere. It was an assassin. She threw everything she had at him; ice, fire and sparks but these assassins were well trained, and it seemed like he was absorbing his pain and getting stronger. Elsie cast her invisibility spell and dodged the dagger that came towards her. She fell onto her knees and crawled under the bed, making it to the other side with ease. She watched as the assassin started to search the bed, he was probably looking for an outline of her form. He was starting to lose his patience, he couldn't see her, and she moved so quietly and then her door opened and he came face to face with the legend that was Odin.

* * *

The assassin leapt out of the window and once he was gone, Elsie dropped her invisibility spell. She was rested on top of the wardrobe with a pale face. She slid down slowly and pushed her hair from her face as she tried to come to terms with what just happened.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, he missed me."

"You're lucky, the usually coat their daggers with poison to make sure they finish their job." He let out a sigh and ran his hands down his tired face. "Who the hell is sending assassins after you?"

"I've got enemies everywhere, I'm actually surprised that it took someone this long to pay a Dark Brotherhood assassin after me." She was trying to make light of the situation, but Odin was concerned for her safety.

"Get your armour on, we'll head back to Riften immediately. There's no time to stop and smell the roses, we've got to get back underground."

She picked up her pieces of armour and waited until Odin was out of the room before she sat on the bed, crying into her cuirass. If the Dark Brotherhood was after her, then she knew her days were numbered; they don't fail.

* * *

Being back in the cistern was a relief for her; it was going to be difficult for an assassin to get down here. Firstly, they didn't know about the secret entrance and secondly, finding the Flagon was trouble enough but Dirge was always on the lookout. Brynjolf greeted her with a comforting hug and a kiss on the top of her head. He was full of rage, he wanted to know who called the hit. He took her to the side of the room and looked over her face with great care.

"Do you know who called on them, lass?"

"It could be anyone, I have enemies in High Rock and I have enemies in Skyrim." She looked up at him, the terror visible in her eyes. "What am I going to do? I don't want to die."

"Listen, I'm going to speak with Delvin. He has a contact in the Brotherhood… We're going to fix this mess, even if I have to pay double for them to drop it."

"Do you think he'll be able to get the contract dropped?"

"There's no harm in trying. I have money set aside, I would pay all the money that I've saved if it meant keeping you out of harm's way."

She kissed him gently, her hand rested on his cheek. "Thank you, I don't know how I'm going to make it up to you."

"You don't need to, I'm not doing this for personal gains, I'm doing it because I love you." He petted her brunette hair and stepped away from her. "I'm going to speak with Delvin, try and get some rest."

* * *

She knew that she was going to have to spend a few nights lying on her lumpy Guild bed, there was nowhere safer than with the other thieves. She tried to make herself comfortable and rolled onto her side, curling up into the foetal position as she cradled her pillow. A few tears escaped her eyes as she thought back to her ordeal and when Niruin and Cynric approached her, she wiped them away quickly. She moved to get up but Niruin placed his hand on her arm and crouched down to her level.

"You have had the time of it this week." He commented as he watched Cynric crouch beside him.

"How are you holding up, Elsie? Bet you're wishing you were still in that jail cell."

"The cell would've been safer." She tried to put a bit of life into her voice, but she couldn't manage it. "I'll be okay, I always am."

"You know that it's okay to not be okay?" The Wood Elf remarked with a frown. "No one wants to have the Dark Brotherhood breathing down their necks."

"I don't want to be a liability to the Guild, I have to get over this and keep the coin flowing."

"Perhaps Delvin can speak to his contact, I know he's not on the best of terms with you right now, but you are part of the family no matter what." Cynric suggested.

"Brynjolf is going to speak with him, maybe he'll help." She sat up and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not waiting for anything special to happen though."

"Keep your head up, girl. You're made of tough stuff. We Bretons are." Cynric smiled at her and got onto his feet, pulling Niruin up with him. "Let's leave her be, she's had a rough enough day without us two clowns bothering her."

She tried to give them a smile as they stepped away from her, but she couldn't move her face muscles. Everything was numb from the shock and the fear. Being in love made death all the more real, she wasn't ready to go.

* * *

Delvin stormed into Vex's quarters with a scowl. She got up from her bed with a raised brow and stepped towards her friend. "What's wrong with you now, Delvin?"

"Please tell me you weren't the one that put a hit out on Elsie."

"You think that it was me? When you told me to get the notion out of my mind, I did. That girl probably has enemies up and down Tamriel, but I can assure you that it wasn't me."

"Promise me that it wasn't you."

She rolled her eyes and placed her hand on his arm. As she looked him in the eye, she could see that he was worried and that wasn't like him. "I promise."

He let out the breath he had been holding onto and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Okay, well I have to make a trip to Dawnstar and try to sort this mess out. I'll see you when I get back."

"Be safe out there, Delvin." She walked with him to her door and closed it once he left. She pressed her back against the door and closed her eyes. It seemed like she was in the clear, the only thing that was going to expose her would be the assassins themselves and she knew for a fact that they weren't going to say anything.

* * *

Brynjolf sat on the edge of her bed and handed her a tankard carefully. He watched her drink it slowly and rested his hand on her lap. He smiled slightly when she placed her hand on his, she made his skin tingle.

"Odin just called me into his quarters to discuss what our options are until Delvin fixes this."

"What did he say?" she said curiously, pressing the metal tankard to her lip. She took a sip and swallowed it back harshly.

"Him and I agree that the best thing to do is to put you into hiding."

She furrowed her brows and shook her head. "No, I'll be safe here."

"We can't be sure of that, the person that hired the assassin could be right under our noses. He's gave me permission to leave with you and take you somewhere. He won't even know the location until I send him a sealed letter."

"Well, when do we leave?"

"At nightfall. We're going to scale the city walls and walk to our location. A horse would draw attention."

"There's just one thing we need to do before we set off."

He tilted his head and spoke lowly. "What's that, lass?"

"We need to visit that temple, may as well while we're both in Riften."

"Are you sure you're still up for all that? I'd understand if you weren't."

"Having an assassin come after me has only made me want to marry you more. I have to experience being your wife before I'm murdered." She was trying to keep a positive outlook on her situation, the only way she could do that was to give it less power in her mind. Humour was going to have to pull her through.

"I'm not going to let anyone touch a hair on your head." He rested his head against hers and whispered in her ear. "I'll make the arrangements and I'll see you at that temple in an hour."

"Should I wear a dress?"

"I love you the way you are now, you don't need a dress to look beautiful."

* * *

 **A:N Thank you for reading this chapter and thank you to those who leave support and encouragement, I really appreciate it. I wanted to make this chapter a little longer than usual because the last one was shorter than usual. What do you think about Vex sending the Dark Brotherhood after Elsie? Is it because she thinks she'll be like Mercer or is her jealousy rearing it's ugly head?**


	13. XIII: On the Run

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **XIII: On the Run**

* * *

Arrangements were organised with Maramal for a service to take place as soon as possible; his wife Dinya would act as a witness as Brynjolf wanted their ceremony to remain intimate and secret. He couldn't have that assassin catching wind of their nuptials. He had the two agents of Mara decorate the temple with fresh flowers and light candles around the entrance so that when Elsie entered, she would be greeted by something that looked as beautiful as her. He waited nervously for his bride, part of him worried that she had got cold feet, but he was confident in their bond that she would attend their wedding.

"Everything is set, Brynjolf. Do you know how long your bride will be?" Maramal said from behind the alter as he prepared for the ceremony.

"She shouldn't be too long."

"What is her name again?"

"Elsie." He replied with a small smile. Even saying her name brought him happiness.

Maramal nodded and clasped his hands in front of his body. "You know, I never imagined that I would see you of all people standing here."

"To be honest, neither did I. As I've got older, I realised that there's more to life than gold. Perhaps it was the lass that made me come to that conclusion, love made me come to that conclusion."

"If you're willing, there's a place for you; with my wife almost ready to have our child, I could do with an extra set of hands, if you're willing to devote yourself to Mara."

Brynjolf raised a brow at Maramal and let out a snicker. "I'm thankful for Mara to bless me with this love that I'm feeling but I don't think so lad, thanks for the offer."

* * *

The idea of getting married in her dirty, Guild armour didn't appeal to her. She knew that she was limited when it came to time, but she wanted to feel like a bride, it would be the only time she would have the chance to be bridal, so she was going to wear a dress. The only dress she owned wasn't hers, but it was what she was wearing when she came to Skyrim; before she had the money to get her own armour made and enchanted, she had stolen a fine dress from a shop near the border between High Rock and Skyrim. She didn't want to get checked over by the Imperials that guarded the border and if it appeared that she had money, they were more likely to look away. Thankfully her plan had worked because it led her to this day.

She squeezed into the tight, pale blue dress and packed her armour into her satchel. Elsie kept her boots on, she didn't have fancy shoes to go with her expensive looking dress, but she knew that Brynjolf wouldn't mind. She took one last look back at the cistern as she climbed up the ladder to the secret entrance and wondered how long she would be gone for; she was going to miss the people she had befriended, Niruin and Cynric had been good to her and Odin was an amazing mentor to have. She knew that she would miss everyone, but those three, apart from Brynjolf, helped her to settle into the family with ease.

* * *

The doors to the temple swung open and Brynjolf put his eyes on his soon to be wife, his jaw dropping as he took in that sight of her in that dress; she was an absolute vision. Elsie dropped her satchel by the door and looked around the room in awe before meeting eyes with Brynjolf. She ran to him and threw her arms around him, stroking the back of his head as she stared into his eyes.

"I hope I didn't keep you too long."

"You're worth the wait." He kissed her on her forehead and looked at Maramal, giving him a nod. "We're ready, lad."

Maramal nodded and watched as his wife stood behind the couple. "We gather here today, under Mara's loving gaze to bear witness to the union of two souls in eternal companionship. May they journey together in this life and the next. Do you agree to be bound together, for now and forever?"

Brynjolf looked at Elsie and flashed her the widest grin. I do, now and forever."

"I do, now and forever." She returned the grin and looked at Maramal as he started to move on with the ceremony. "Before we continue, do you mind if I say a few words?"

Maramal nodded and placed his hands on the table. "I don't see why not."

She looked back at Brynjolf's confused face and slipped her hands into his. "Brynjolf, I don't think you know how much good you have done for my soul. You have shown me, in this short time of being together, that I can trust someone that isn't myself and that I can love someone without limits, I fell for you so quickly even though I didn't want to, and I am so glad that I did. You are so special, and I want to thank you for sticking with me even when I was horrible and stubborn. You brought me to the light."

He pressed his lips lightly against her knuckles, his eyes lingering on her face. "It was my pleasure, lass."

"Under the authority of Mara, the divine of love, I declare this couple to be wed." he smiled at each of them in turn, raising his hands into the air. He reached down to the two rings on the table, handing one to each of them. "I present you with these rings, may they protect you both in your new life, together."

They slipped the rings onto their fingers and shared a warm embrace, Elsie practically melted into Brynjolf's arms as she felt the comforting feeling of safety ooze over her. In his arms, she didn't feel worried about the assassin, she knew he would protect her and there was no one that she trusted with her life more than Brynjolf.

She grabbed her satchel from the entrance and moved to the back of the temple quickly changing into her armour. He watched her for a moment before clearing his throat, making her look at him with a small smile.

"We better hit the road, lass." He said lowly. "There's no point on lingering here."

"I'm ready, let's get out of this city."

* * *

She followed him around the back of the temple, he had found a spot on the wall where the metal fencing on top had been damaged. Brynjolf pointed up at it and looked down at Elsie with an air of concern.

"Can you climb?"

"It's a smooth wall, I don't think I'll be able to get a grip on it." She said as she ran her hand along the stone wall. "If you climb first, I can take a running jump and you could pull me over."

"Are you sure? I can find another way out."

She nodded and pressed her back against the wall, her hands down by her thighs. "I'll give you a boost."

Once Brynjolf had successfully gotten on top of the wall, he dangled down as far as he could with his hand extended, ready to catch her when she leapt. She held her breath as she took a couple of steps back and she pushed herself to jump as high as she could, gripping onto Brynjolf's hand as tightly as she could.

"Don't worry, I've got you." He kept one hand gripped on the wall and used all the strength in his other arm to pull her up. He turned around carefully and grimaced at the drop that was ahead of him. "I'll go first, and I'll catch you at the bottom."

"We'll jump together, the drop I can manage." She said with a smirk. She braced herself for a hard landing as she let herself drop from the wall. Brynjolf managed to land on his feet and stay like that, but she toppled onto her knees; her hands falling into the wet mud.

He handed her a piece of cloth when she stood up and couldn't help but laugh. "Luckily, you weren't wearing that dress."

"Yes, we can be thankful for small blessings." She looked around, trying to work out whereabouts they were. "What way are we going?"

"We'll follow the river, it'll take us west and it will keep us well away from the stables and the watchtower. We can't have anyone tracking us."

She knew that she had a long journey ahead of her and walking the whole way to her hideout was going to be painful. Elsie sighed and forced the frown from her face at the thought of their trek. "Lead the way."

* * *

It had been years since Delvin had set foot into the sanctuary; nothing had changed, it was still creepy as hell and Astrid hadn't aged a day. She greeted him with a slight hug and waggled her finger at him as she moved into her own personal space. She took a seat and motioned for him to sit in front of her.

"How are you keeping, old friend? It's been far too long since we engaged in business."

"I'm keeping alright but I'm not here for business, I'm here for a favour." He tried to find the words that he wanted to say, but the way Astrid stared at him with her expecting glower and her pointed brow, it made him nervous to say anything.

"Just spit it out, Delvin. I'm not going to eat you alive." She let out a laugh and leaned forward in her chair. "We are friends, you've scratched my back plenty of times now let me scratch yours. Who do you want me to take out?"

"Astrid don't jump to conclusions, I have no enemies that are causing me any problems, at the moment. I actually need you to drop a contract on one of our Guild members, her name is,"

"Elsie, yes I'm aware of the contract placed on her. I'm sorry but I just can't get rid of the contract. Once a deal has been struck, a soul must go to the Void. Have you ever heard of the Dark Brotherhood drop a contract?" she stared Delvin down with a sadistic smirk.

"I can't say that I have."

"I wish I could help you, but I am as devout to Sithis as you are to Nocturnal; and neither of us want to disappoint our lord."

"There has to be a way to stop this assassination, our two factions have been in an alliance for years." Delvin reached into his pocket and dug out the coin purse that Brynjolf had given him. "There are two thousand septims there, take the money and ignore the contract."

Astrid stared at the bag of gold knowing that it could be put to good use within her sanctuary, but she wanted much more than gold. "I'll accept your desire to have the contract struck off if you give me the gold and give up your faith in Nocturnal and take faith in Sithis."

"You want me to join the Dark Brotherhood?" Delvin shook his head and looked away from his old friend in frustration. "Over the decades, have you ever saw me take an interest in joining the Brotherhood?"

"If you want to deny Sithis the soul he was promised then something better has to be offered to him. Eternal allegiance is the only way."

Delvin wasn't cut out for murder, he was just about able to muster up the courage to strike Brynjolf; give him a mark to pickpocket or a house to break into and he would take to it like a fish to water. He couldn't even entertain the though of himself in that red armour never mind taking the lives of numerous people for the rest of his life.

"I can't do that, Astrid." He frowned and put his head in his hands. He had failed Brynjolf and it meant that neither he or Elsie could return to the Guild for a long time.

"Then I'm afraid we don't have a deal." She got onto her feet and pushed the bag of gold back towards Delvin. "If dropping the contract was as easy as a big bag of gold, everyone would offer it."

"Is there any way of Elsie getting out of this alive?" Delvin watched Astrid as she moved towards the door, opening it for Delvin.

"Between friends, I have one piece of advice; when my assassin finds her, she better put up one hell of a fight because one way or another, Sithis will get a soul."

* * *

They had been walking for a week, through the day and the night and both were exhausted and worn out. Elsie could barely keep her eyes open as she walked and every so often, Brynjolf had to slap himself to stay alert. He looked over his shoulder when he couldn't hear her footsteps anymore and saw her lying on the ground. He walked over to her and sat down by her side, running his fingertips across her cheek.

"You've got to get up, we need to keep moving." He said sympathetically. He had a fair idea how she was feeling; his legs were aching, and his head pounded from tiredness.

"I can't, Bryn. I need to stop." Tears of fatigue and agony trickled down her face and she rolled her head towards him. "What's the harm in stopping for a couple of hours?"

"We're in the middle of nowhere, lass."

"Exactly, we haven't saw anyone in days. Can't we just find a bit of shelter and set up camp?"

He hated seeing her like this, but he was worried that if they stopped to sleep that she would become a sitting duck. Brynjolf looked around and noticed a cave a few feet to the left of them. "Get on your feet." He pushed himself up and held his hands out to her.

She took his hands and let him pull her from the ground. "We're going to die out here if we don't stop and recover."

"There's a cave over there. We'll stop there for the night and continue in the morning." He put his arm around her shoulders and kept her close to his side, letting her rest some of her weight on him.

The cave was empty and damp, and as Brynjolf looked around, the only he thing that he saw that could light a fire was a few twigs. It wasn't going to be much of a fire, but it would give them some heat and a tiny bit of light. He piled all the twigs together and picked up a couple of rocks, trying desperately to get a spark going. Elsie rolled out their bed roll and watched him struggle for a second before shooting a fireball at the small lump of wood. He smiled at her from over his shoulder and crawled over to the bed roll, lying down beside her. The floor beneath them was hard and lumpy but it was the safest place they could be, and they were too sleepy to care. Elsie buried her head into his chest and kept as close as possible to share his heat. She wanted all this wandering to be over, she wanted Brynjolf to get her to wherever he was taking her as soon as possible, if not, without food and sleep, she was going to go crazy.

* * *

Morning came with the promise that things were going to get better for the couple. The bit of sleep they had got done them the world of good, but the hunger was starting to gnaw at them. Any food they had brought with them was gone. They needed something to keep them going. They left the cave and looked around for something to salvage but there was nothing around them.

"Where are all the animals? You would think that they would thrive in a place as silent as this." Elsie remarked grumpily.

"There are predators out here worse than mankind. We've got to use our sneak, lass. We've got to stay hidden and keep a lookout."

He ducked down, pulling her down with him and used his trained eye to watch for the slightest bit of movement. With both daggers poised and ready in his hands he lay in wait for any animal to be daring enough to move. When he saw something move in the bush, he got ready to move and he had managed to get behind the small rabbit that had emerged but with the hunger came a lack of concentration and before he knew it, the rabbit was running for its life. Brynjolf was ready to throw his daggers down in frustration but he watched as a lightning bolt flew in front of his face and took out the rabbit. When he looked over at Elsie, she was walking towards him with a victorious leer.

"Don't be throwing those daggers away just yet, this rabbit needs skinned." She picked the rabbit up by its hind legs and marched back to the cave. "Dinner is served."

* * *

He followed her back, shaking his head to himself; he knew he was hungry but that had never stopped his ability to stay silent. Combined with the hunger, his anxiety was starting to mess with his mind. He didn't know how Elsie was surviving, a week ago she was panicking and now she was so calm. He glanced at her as he skinned the rabbit and listened to the angelic tune she was humming as she readied another fire.

"How are you feeling, lass?"

"A lot better now that I had a decent night's sleep." She lit the fire and took the rabbit from his hand, skewering it with a stick. "Are you okay? You've been quiet."

"I've just been thinking." He sat in front of the fire, keeping his eyes on the rabbit as she rotated it for an even cooking.

"What has been going through your mind?"

"I'm just wondering how you're coping with all of this? Before we left Riften you were a mess and now you're,"

"A survival expert?" she said with a raised brow and a smirk. When he didn't return her look, she exhaled quietly and squeezed her lips together. "I'm still panicking but not as much as I was. Every time you hold me, every kiss we share and every smile you throw my way makes me feel like I will get through this. The only reason I'm surviving is because of you."

He rested his arm on his knee and gazed at her, his teeth grazing his bottom lip as he thought about her words. "I give you that much strength?"

"You do more for me than what you know." She took the rabbit from the fire and ripped the meat from the bones. "I just don't want to take too much."

"I would give you the world if I could."

"I know, but there has to be a give and a take; I've gave you nothing." She handed him most of the meat and nibbled on her portion.

"That's not true, lass. Don't think that."

"Look at what you're doing for me, you're sitting in a cold cave and walking for weeks to keep me safe. Tell me what I've done for you."

"I didn't think that I'd ever have the chance to experience a bond as strong as ours and that's what I've wanted the most. I'm your husband, I will sacrifice everything for you."

"And I for you." She said sincerely.

"So, don't question what you've done for me. You've done plenty. Now, stop upsetting yourself and eat your food so we can keep moving."

* * *

They stopped on their way to Brynjolf's mystery destination at an old tomb that was built into a mountain. Elsie looked at the iron doors and raised a brow at her husband. He had to have travelled here before because this place was well hidden. He walked in like he owned the place and looked over his shoulder at Elsie, waving for her to follow him in.

"What is this place?"

"This is the Twilight Sepulcher… There's a secret that I haven't told you, it's something that only three people alive know about and I am one of them."

"This sounds like something I shouldn't be involved in, Brynjolf." She said as she examined the empty foyer to the tomb.

"All thieves are guided by Nocturnal, she brings us luck; she's the one that stops our last pick from breaking, the one that directs our vision to the pockets full to the brim with coin. Odin, Karliah and I are agents of Nocturnal, but we are known as Nightingales." He watched her as she came to terms with what he had said, she still didn't understand why he was telling her all of this, but he had his reasons.

"So, what are we doing here?"

"I need Karliah to do something for you that I think will help you." He stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "For years you were tormented by what your father did, desperately seeking answers. I want you to find peace in that, so we can move on with our lives, together. I want Nocturnal to give you the chance to meet your father."

Elsie's eyes widened at the proposal, but she wasn't sure if she wanted that; she had read his journals and he was a horrid man full of greed and corruption but then again, he was her father and she found herself wondering if he ever wanted her. She was only going to get one shot at finding out these answers, she wasn't going to turn it down.

* * *

 **A:N I'm excited to write the next chapter because Elsie will meet Mercer and I want to show a side to him that we didn't get to see in the game. Are you excited to see Mercer back and how do you think his meeting with his daughter will go? Thank you so much for your support, I read every review and feel a sense of relief because I'm so glad that I'm keeping you entertained. Thank you so much for reading!**


	14. XIV: Mercer Frey

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **XIV: Mercer Frey**

* * *

As they delved deeper into the sanctuary, nerves couldn't help but bubble away in Elsie's stomach; what if Mercer didn't want to see her? He didn't really have a choice, but he could be hostile with her. Before she could even think about that, she had to worry about Nocturnal, she had never come face to face with a Daedric prince and she never thought she'd have to but as Brynjolf placed his hand in hers, nervousness seemed to fade away.

Karliah was standing at the Ebonmere when the two thieves stepped through the door. She turned around with a scowl on her face. As she marched up to Brynjolf, she kept her eyes on Elsie.

"What is she doing here Brynjolf? You can't bring her here, she isn't a,"

"Nightingale, I know," he nodded towards Elsie, "she knows too but I need a favour of you, lass. I think you owe Elsie."

"I don't owe anybody anything." She said as she folded her arms across her chest. Karliah stared Brynjolf down, willing him to give up first but it wasn't going to happen. "What do you want?" she looked at Elsie a little more softly than she had Brynjolf, mainly because she did want to put what happened between them in the past.

"I want you to speak to Nocturnal and ask her if she would let me speak with Mercer."

Karliah's eyes widened and she regarded Brynjolf. "Do you know what I would be asking of Nocturnal? To reanimate Mercer for a brief time, the one who stole from and betrayed her?"

"It's a lot to ask, but if anyone can convince Nocturnal, it's you." He looked down at Elsie sympathetically and looked towards the entrance. "Do you mind waiting outside, lass? I think I should explain things to Nocturnal, personally."

She nodded and looked at Karliah. "Whatever the outcome, thank you. I know you don't have to this and that your feelings towards him are negative, but I appreciate this." She let go of Brynjolf's hand and stepped towards the door. The short walk felt like miles as she felt both sets of eyes on her; she wasn't looking forward to sitting alone with her thoughts.

* * *

"The lass would benefit from meeting Mercer, she's been having nightmares about him and she mumbles his name when she sleeps. Elsie doesn't know she's doing it, but every aspect of her life is occupied by him. She's not going to be willing from moving on with her life if her head is constantly spinning."

"Nocturnal won't do this without asking for something in return, you do realise that, don't you?"

"I've already agreed to guard this temple when I die, what more could she ask for?"

Karliah shrugged and turned to the Ebonmere. "Nocturnal is hard to read, she may ask for nothing." she waved for Brynjolf to take the spot beside her and once she had, she spoke to the Ebonmere. "I call upon you Lady Nocturnal, Queen of Murk and Empress of Shadow. Hear my voice!"

* * *

Nocturnal was keeping them waiting, it made Brynjolf feel weary; she could take his request well or she could react with fury and he hoped for the latter. When she finally emerged, she had a face of wonder.

"Karliah," she locked eyes with Brynjolf and smirked, "Brynjolf. I wasn't expecting to hear from you."

"Lady Nocturnal, Brynjolf has come here to seek a favour from you." Karliah bowed her head, unwilling to look her mistress in the eye.

"A favour from me? Brynjolf, this is very out of character for you." Nocturnal turned her gaze to the door of the sanctuary and let out a breath. "I'll hazard a guess and say that it has something to do with your new wife."

He followed her gaze to the door and turned back to Nocturnal. "Aye, it is. Lady Nocturnal, what I'm going to ask for is something that is needed and not necessarily wanted."

"I already know what you're going to ask of me Brynjolf and I can tell you that it is very much wanted. Usually I wouldn't accept such a request, but I've been informed that Sithis wants her soul and if it's going to keep her out of the void and give her more strength, then I'm all for it. I've saw what's to come of her and if it means the future that I've seen is guaranteed, then I'll grant it… On one condition."

Brynjolf let out his held breath as Karliah turned to him in amazement; in her decades long service to Nocturnal, she had never saw her accept such an unreal request. Whatever Nocturnal saw in the future, it had to be special.

"Whatever it is, I will pay it." He replied graciously.

"Oh, my dear, you won't be the one to pay the price. I want to speak with her." She looked back towards the door. "Bring her in Brynjolf and leave us to speak."

* * *

She had been out of the Ebonmere for a while and the longer that she sat there, the more she regretted agreeing to Brynjolf's idea. Elsie was happy not knowing Mercer and she didn't think that he would be able to say anything that would change her thoughts and feelings towards her father; that was if he even admitted to his faults. The bits and pieces she had heard about Mercer from the other thieves was that he could never admit to his mistakes and he was corrupt. Perhaps in death, whatever made him like that released him from its grip.

When the door opened, she jumped onto her feet and looked at Brynjolf with a raised brow. She couldn't read his face, he wasn't giving away any detail of how his conversation with Nocturnal went and then she spotted Karliah behind him, her face was easier to read; she looked like she had saw a ghost. Her dark grey skin became greyer and her violet eyes became darker. Whatever Nocturnal had said to them wasn't good.

"What did she say?" She placed her hand on Brynjolf's face and watched his green eyes roam onto her face.

"She wouldn't tell me what she wants from you in return but I'm guessing from what she was saying, the only reason she's doing this for you is firstly because of the assassin after you; she doesn't want Sithis to have your soul."

Elsie nodded and shrugged her shoulders. "That's obvious, I'm a thief and a follower of Nocturnal. If I was going to serve anyone, it would be her."

"The second thing she said, and this is something that Karliah picked up on, Nocturnal seems to think that you are going to mould the future for us thieves and whatever it is, it's pleased Nocturnal."

"So, she's going to let me speak with my father?" Elsie looked at Karliah and then to Brynjolf.

"Only if you accept her conditions. You don't have to, I want to make that very clear, lass. Neither of us are holding a dagger to your back telling you to go through with this; do whatever your heart is telling you to do."

"I have served Nocturnal for most of my life and I'll give you a piece of advice, take Nocturnal's offer because you'll never get another chance." Karliah shared a look with Elsie, giving her a fleeting smile. "I know what your heart is telling you, I can see it in your eyes. You want to find the answers you've been looking for, don't you?"

Elsie looked down at the floor and let out a sigh. "I just want to know why he left me. That's the only thing that bothers me the most."

"Hear her out, lass before you agree to anything." He kissed her on the forehead, holding her in his arms for a moment. "We'll wait for you here."

* * *

Delvin hadn't spoke a word to anyone since he returned, he was spending most of his time at the bar drinking away his sorrows. Vex cared for him, no matter how mean or nasty she was towards him, she still considered him to be her only friend and to know that she was responsible for the way he was feeling gave her the slightest bit of guilt. It wasn't a lot, but it was something. She took the empty stool beside him and ordered herself a tankard of mead.

"I take it that the meeting with your contact was a bust?" she said lowly, their conversation was going to be between the two of them and only them.

"Yes, and I told Odin the outcome; to put it mildly, he wasn't pleased. He said that we should expect the Guild to take a dip in profit until the matter is resolved."

"But jobs should still be pouring in, Brynjolf set that all up before he took Elsie out of here."

Delvin shook his head and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. He was stressed and upset; he really thought that he could get Astrid to drop the contract, he would've bet all the gold he had on it. He was lucky he didn't.

"Any job that he set up involved Elsie's magic; they were all high stakes and big pay offs. No one in this Guild can use magic except for her so until then, we're sitting ducks."

"What about the work that we do, won't that tide us over?"

"It'll keep us busy, but it won't bring in as much as what those jobs could have." Delvin looked at Vex with a frown, he shook his head back and forth as he tried to come to terms with the disappointment he felt in himself. "If they don't come back in a matter of months, then we're going to go back to the Mercer days; no coin and no reputation."

She knew she screwed up, she let her anger and her hurt get the better of her rationality and now the Guild was going to suffer. Vex drank her mead, gulping it down as she stared off into the distance. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, recruit and hope we find someone with a bit of skill to send out into the market. Odin needs Brynjolf much more than he admits; he's got a baby on the way, he's not going to be knocking around here as often as he used to. He wants me to fill Bryn's shoes and let me tell you, they're big shoes to fill."

Vex placed her hand on Delvin's arm, the corner of her mouth turning up ever so slightly. "You can do this, it's only until Brynjolf returns. Hopefully, it'll be soon."

Vex didn't know the Dark Brotherhood like Delvin did, he was a lot wiser than he let on to be; Brynjolf and Elsie weren't going to return for a long time, he didn't even know if they would return at all; if it came to a fight, Brynjolf would die if it meant protecting her. Vex was living in a fantasy world and it put a couple of thoughts into his head.

* * *

She stepped back into the Ebonmere and feasted her eyes upon Nocturnal in the flesh. She stood in front of the Daedric Prince and bowed her head; she didn't want to offend her or anger her, she wanted to leave the Twilight Sepulcher with the answers she craved.

"Lady Nocturnal, I'm ready to hear your terms. Thank you for considering what I'm looking for."

"I must admit I thought that Brynjolf would've brought you here sooner, but with what happened between you and Karliah, it must've put him off." Nocturnal smirked at Elsie and it sent shivers down the Breton's spine. "I did have a part to play in that, I can admit when I am wrong. Now, let's negotiate, shall we?"

Elsie nodded and lifted her head. "I'm listening."

"What I want from you is life service and when I say life, I include the afterlife. I'm going to assume that Brynjolf has already mentioned the secret of the Nightingales?"

"He's told me about it, yes."

"And do you know what it means to be a Nightingale?"

"I know that it means protecting the Sepulcher."

"Once a Nightingale dies, their spirit joins me in the Evergloam to serve me for as long as I deem fit. Sometimes, I will release a Nightingale of their duties before they have expired, and I feel like Karliah deserves to live the rest of her life however she chooses. If I'm to give you what you want, I want, in return is for you to take Karliah's place as a Nightingale but know that you will never have the chance to be released from your eternal duties as she has been."

Elsie considered this for a moment; she didn't care where she went when she dies, she was too young to think about the afterlife.

"I accept your condition."

It seemed as if Nocturnal was smiling as she clasped her hands in front of her body. "Then I grant your desire. I wish that this makes you stronger in your fight against Sithis because I will not let him take your soul, not when the seed for the future has already been planted. Go, speak with your father and find the answers you are looking for."

* * *

There was a noise at the end of the corridor and when Brynjolf moved to investigate, he came face to face with his mentor. Nothing had really changed with him; he still had that scowl that could make your blood run cold and he still had his hands fixed onto his hips.

"What is the meaning of all of this? When I die, I expect to stay dead." His eyes roamed away from Brynjolf's face to Karliah's, he reached for his sword, but it wasn't there. "Karliah, my greatest foe."

"Mercer, I expected that I would never see your face again. Looks like never came sooner than I anticipated."

"Looks like the lass took Nocturnal's offer." He said to Karliah, looking over his shoulder at her.

"What are you talking about, Brynjolf? What am I doing here?" Mercer was getting angrier by the second.

"There's someone that has been waiting their whole life to meet you and she's struck a deal with Nocturnal to make it happen." Brynjolf replied, folding his arms across his chest.

"I don't want to meet anyone. What I want is to return back to the Evergloam and forget that this ever happened."

The doors to the Ebonmere opened and Elsie emerged with her head down. She looked at Karliah and waved towards the door. "Nocturnal wishes to speak with you."

Karliah nodded and looked towards Mercer. "You've got what you wanted, I pray that it works out."

Elsie looked at Brynjolf and then to Mercer, her jaw dropping when she saw him standing there, flesh and bone. She stepped towards them slowly, taking her place by Brynjolf's side. He looked at her with a raised brow as he noticed the hazel eyes; he had saw them before.

"Who are you?"

"I'm your daughter, I'm Elsie Frey."

* * *

With Brynjolf gone, the air became tense and silent. Elsie sat on the floor, staring up at her father as he paced back and forth, trying to wrap his head around everything that was happening. She wanted him to just sit down and talk to her, she only had an hour with him, but she didn't have enough courage to ask him all the questions that had been running through her mind for over two decades.

"You look a lot like your mother, I can see my likeness in you but it's not as prominent. I guess you were lucky in those regards." He said as he glanced down at her. "How old are you now?"

"I'm twenty-eight. I bet you thought that you would never see me." The way he grunted at her made her blood boil, when she rolled her eyes at him, he stopped pacing and lowered himself down to her level. "You didn't want to see me, at all."

"Why are you here?" his voice took a different tone, a softer and less angry tone.

"I want answers to questions I've been asking my whole life."

"You may not like the answers to most of them."

"I don't care, I need to know."

He sat in front of her, his legs crossed as he stared at her face. He couldn't get over how beautiful his daughter was. Seeing her stirred up all these instincts that he didn't get to feel. "Ask me whatever you want."

"Did you ever want me?"

"You have no idea how pleased I was to learn that your mother was with child. It was the best moment of my life. Leaving you was one of my greatest failures."

"Why did you abandon us then? If you were truly happy knowing that you were going to be a father, you wouldn't have left."

"You've grown up hearing only one side of the story, it's time that you know what really happened." He reached out to take her hand, but she pulled it away, securing her hands in her lap. "Your mother and I were married by the time we were eighteen and found a small farm to live on as we settled into marital life. From the very beginning we had a turbulent life together; she wanted a simple life, but I wanted riches beyond compare. I always wanted a child, an heir to pass on my legacy to but first I had to create that legacy; I was always a gifted thief, I had been doing it my whole life. My father used to tell me that I would get caught and rot in a jail cell, but he was wrong, I lived in the shadows... Your mother didn't agree with the way I made money and we constantly fought over my line of work."

"I guess that's why she detested my habits so much, it reminded her too much of you."

Mercer shrugged. "Probably. I didn't expect your mother to get pregnant a few years into our marriage and she gave me an ultimatum; give up my lifestyle or give up my chance of being a father and I chose to give up my lifestyle, but farming wasn't producing the money we hoped it would. Our crops died, and we had to feed ourselves over the livestock, so I hid the fact that I was stealing. I was so naïve to think that she wouldn't find out but when she did, she pushed me away. I should've fought to stay by her side, to have the chance to be a father but I was young and foolish; I should've known that she wanted me to stay but I was so angry with her, all I wanted to do was provide a comfortable life for you and her… So, I left for Skyrim. I'll admit that I tried to forget about you but every so often I would wonder what you were doing, what you looked like and how your voice sounded."

"You could've written a letter, you could've returned to High Rock to look for me. You have no idea how bad you abandoning us left things for me. We lived in poverty because we weren't making any money and when I started to steal, she had me thrown in a jail cell. I came here to find you and by the time I got here, you were already gone." Elsie bit her lip and looked away from her father. "I learned that you betrayed the Guild that embraced you and came to the conclusion that you were ruthless, then I read your diaries, you wrote about me once."

"I tried to forget you, Elsie. Understand that I couldn't write about you without feeling so much loss. It was a loss that I tried to fill with gold. I stole the skeleton key from Nocturnal and it changed me, it turned me into a monster."

"Do you regret what you did?"

"Yes, if I didn't do it, I would still be alive, and I would've crossed paths with you. I can see myself in you, we're cut from the same cloth, but you have clearer outlook on life. Gold and power ruled me."

"And it ruled me too until I fell for Brynjolf. He was the one that changed me, I let love change me for the better."

"I thought I could sense something between the two of you… You're good for each other, you are making him tougher and he brings down the walls you protect yourself with."

* * *

She didn't want to discuss her relationship with Brynjolf, she wanted to learn more about Mercer. "Well… Do I get my magic from you or from my mother?"

"Definitely me," a smirk crossed his face as she lifted her head back to him, "I loved magic just as much as I loved stealing. How did you get into magic?"

"I felt it coursing through my veins and the money I made from thieving went into lessons. Mother thought I was getting them for free until she caught me in the market stealing from a traveller."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you join the Guild?"

"I planned on taking my revenge against you, I stole plans from the Guild and executed them before they could. Odin sent Brynjolf to recruit me and I've been with them ever since. They gave me your journals once I proved myself and then Brynjolf told me things about you; mostly bad but he had a few nice memories."

"Did the Guild know who you were when you joined?"

"No, I knew that I had to keep that secret until there was trust. Brynjolf had no judgements but Delvin and Vex found it difficult to digest."

"That doesn't surprise me, but if you'll let me give you a piece of fatherly advice… Be careful of Vex; her anger and her jealousy can be deadly."

"I'll keep that in mind." Elsie was starting to feel the weight being lifted from her shoulders; she had burdened herself with doubt and wonder for her whole life and now she was free of it.

* * *

With the little time they had together, Elsie told him everything about her life, she wasn't going to hold back anymore, and it was his turn to learn about her; she told him about Vorstag and Markarth, the way she undermined the Guild and her marriage to Brynjolf. The only thing she was hesitant with was the mark placed on her head; Mercer was dead, he wasn't going to be any help to her and there was no point of him spending his time in the Evergloam worrying about her.

"I want you to know that I love you and I have since I found out about you. What I did, it wasn't your fault, it was mine. I should've fought for you, but I was stubborn."

"I forgive you, thank you for giving me the answers I've been looking for. I was expecting this meeting to go very differently." She let out a sigh and plastered a fake smile onto her face, she didn't want him to leave her again, but she knew that neither of them had a choice. "Can I ask you one last thing?"

"Of course."

"Can I have a hug, father?"

He smiled sadly and held her in his arms for the first and only time. She hugged him tightly as he said farewell; his hold on Nirn was slipping and he couldn't allow himself to go without holding his daughter. She was left by herself feeling like she had found everything she was looking for, as he faded away. This chapter of her life was closed; she found her peace with Mercer.

* * *

 **A:N Thank you for all your reviews and thank you for coming back to this story. Hopefully you enjoyed seeing Mercer again. Now that Elsie knows more about herself, do you think it'll change how she views her life and experiences? Let me know what you thought of this chapter and thank you again for reading!**


	15. XV: Safe and Sound

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **XV: Safe and Sound**

* * *

When Brynjolf re-entered the tomb, Elsie was alone, and he could tell by her body language that she got the answers she had craved her whole life. She looked as if she was holding herself together, her arms wrapped around her body tightly. He could tell that she was sad; she had only met her father after a life time of doubt and mystery and an hour wasn't enough time to make up for that. Brynjolf couldn't help but feel sorry for his wife but he knew it was what she needed; he wanted her to realise that she was just as resilient as Mercer, she needed to be as strong and as level headed as her father. He stepped towards her and placed his hand on her shoulder with a half-smile on his face. She returned the look and let out a shallow breath.

"How do you feel, lass?"

"I feel free, I've learned what I needed to know, and I think that when I finally go to the Evergloam, I can resume the conversation Mercer and I had."

"The Evergloam? Only Nightingales go to the Evergloam."

"Nocturnal is releasing Karliah from her duties and I am to take her place. That was part of my deal."

"It's a lot of responsibility, lass… I hope you know what you've let yourself in for."

Elsie nodded and folded her arms across her chest. "I'm aware and the thought of serving Nocturnal for an eternity doesn't frighten me." She inched closer to Brynjolf and placed a hand on his chest. "It means we have an eternity together as well."

Brynjolf knew that serving Nocturnal wasn't a reward; it was nothing like Sovngarde, but he didn't want to burst her bubble, instead he just placed his hand on her cheek and rested his head on hers. "That sounds perfect to me."

"So, when are we heading to this mystery destination?" she said softly.

"Soon, we should say farewell to Karliah first; I want to see if she's okay."

"I'll go with you, I think it's time to bury the grudge between us."

* * *

Nocturnal was gone and the Ebonmere appeared to be empty when they stepped in, but Brynjolf caught a glimpse of Karliah in the dark corner of the room. She was sombre and under her eyes were stained with tears. He placed an arm around her when she stepped towards them and looked towards his wife for help; he couldn't find the words that would make her feel any better.

"I know that you were dedicated to Nocturnal and to the Sepulcher; this must be hard for you, Karliah." Elsie said sympathetically as she watched the emotions ripple across the Dunmer's face.

"I have mixed emotions about this; I can finally live in the outside world and establish a new life; what upsets me the most is never seeing Gallus again." Karliah looked between the couple and frowned. "Perhaps Nocturnal will be kind and will let me into the Evergloam when I die."

"Nocturnal appreciates you, more than you know, I don't see why she wouldn't." Brynjolf replied, wishing that he was right.

"What will you do now?" Elsie glanced at Brynjolf and rested her hand on her hip. "Will you return to the Guild?"

"No, I think it's time that I see the world. I'll stay here for a while before I leave Skyrim and make sure the Sepulcher is clean before I go." She paused for a moment, looking down at the floor. "Tell me, Elsie… How beautiful is High Rock?"

She smiled slightly and nodded. "Quite beautiful."

"Then perhaps I'll visit there first. You two have somewhere to get to, don't you?"

"Yes, and we must leave soon." He added as he released Karliah from his arm.

"But before we leave, I want to tell you that I forgive you for the Solitude ordeal and thank you again for arranging my meeting with my father. I'm forever grateful." Elsie said sincerely as she took one of Karliah's hands into her own.

"I pray that you prevail against Sithis, I know you will." She nodded at Brynjolf before retiring into one of the rooms. "I wish you both the best of luck."

* * *

What he was thinking about doing was betrayal against one of the closest friends he had; but the doubt was there and if it meant the longevity of the Guild, then he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself. Word of Odin's return to the cistern was rife and as he waited outside his quarters, the severity of his action was starting to terrify him. There was the potential that he could lose everyone he cared about and it scared Delvin. There was no going back; Odin had locked eyes with him and from the look on his face, Delvin knew he wasn't going to let him back out, not without giving him the truth.

"I got your message, let's speak behind closed doors." He said seriously as he marched past Delvin, leading him into his room.

"Listen boss, I'm not certain about any of this; I'm just telling you about my gut feeling."

"Have I ever doubted any of your gut feelings before?"

"No."

"So, why should you? If you're worried that I'm going to fly off the handle, know that I'm a lot more level headed than you think I am."

"I think that Vex was the one that contacted the Dark Brotherhood." Delvin blurted out anxiously. He looked away from Odin's face, fixating his eyes to the floor. He didn't want to see the anger that was probably on his face.

"Did I hear you right? You think it was Vex?"

Delvin nodded and ran his hand across his stubble. "I would bet my life on it."

"Well, I hope that you can explain yourself."

"I don't know if you are aware that there is a history between Vex and Brynjolf… A romantic history."

"I wasn't, it was probably before my time."

"It was, and it didn't end well for Vex; Brynjolf strung her along for years, finally telling her that he didn't see a life between him and another Guild member and then, he got with Elsie, I believe it stirred up a jealousy within her. And then there's the hatred she had for Mercer and with Elsie being a Frey, Vex didn't take that revelation well; with the jealousy and the hate, I believe that it caused her to seek other means of getting rid of Elsie."

Odin crossed his arms and furrowed his brows. "Do you have something more solid than this? I can't approach her without concrete evidence."

Delvin sighed and lifted his eyes to Odin's face, he wanted this conversation to be over but there was one last thing he had to confess. "I was angry with Elsie too and we had discussed how we could push her out of the Guild. Vex had asked if I still had contact with the Dark Brotherhood. I told her that I wasn't going to contact them and then she seemed to drop the idea."

"And when did this discussion take place?"

"A week before the assassin attacked Elsie."

Odin nodded and began to pace back and forth as he tried to come up with a course of action. "I can't let her know that I'm wise to her games and you can't tell her that you came to me with this… There's one thing that Vex loves more than herself and it's this Guild. My plan is this; we'll deceive her and make her believe that the Guild is worse off than we are. It might draw a confession from her."

"It wouldn't hurt to try."

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, when Brynjolf contacts me I will let him know about this. Elsie should know."

"I fear their reaction."

"Luckily for Vex, she won't have to deal with the consequences until they are safe."

* * *

The journey had been long, but Brynjolf had successfully got Elsie to his hideout in one piece; she was exhausted and starving but at least she was alive. She looked at the massive house, gasping a little as she noticed a tower poking up above the roof. She looked at Brynjolf as he put their horses into the stables and raised her brows.

"Where are we?"

"In the countryside, we're not that far away from Morthal but we're not that close to it either." He smiled and glanced at the house.

"Is this place yours?"

"Gods no," he sniggered as he threw his arm around her shoulders, "this is where Braelie lives."

"Your sister lives here?" Elsie looked the house over once more, shaking her head. "How did she get a house like this?"

"Her husband built it for her; it pays to be away from home." Brynjolf stepped towards the front door, leading Elsie towards it. "Let's pray that Braelie is willing to hide us here."

"You are her brother, family always comes first."

Brynjolf petted the top of her head as he looked down at her naïve face; she didn't know what the relationship between the siblings was like and he didn't want to burden her with the things that happened in the past; he wanted nothing more than to keep Elsie safe and if it meant appeasing Braelie, then he would do it.

* * *

It was hard to tell that Brynjolf and Braelie were siblings; she had the same hair colour as Brynjolf but that was it. Her face was harsher and longer. She was in her late forties and appeared to be frail; that was what Elsie assumed because of how small her frame was. She looked between the siblings as they stared at each other before Brynjolf made the first move and hugged his sister.

"It's good to see you again, brother. It's been far too long."

"I know, I'm sorry with the way I left things with you."

"Hmm, well I guess you were right with most of the things you said." Braelie turned her icy gaze towards Elsie and raised one of her brows. "Who is this, Brynjolf?"

"This is Elsie, she's my wife." Brynjolf looked down at her from over his shoulder, winking at her playfully before turning back to his older sister.

"The courier must've lost my invitation to the wedding." Braelie rested a finger on her chin as she regarded the Breton. "You picked a pretty one."

"Thank you." Elsie smiled slightly at her sister-in-law, but her comment wasn't a compliment.

"The pretty ones aren't usually the smartest, my dear. The divines give us one or the other, they aren't that generous."

"Braelie, the reason we're here is because we need your help." His sister turned back to him. "We need shelter; our lives are in danger."

"So, you thought that you would come here and risk my life too? The lives of my children?"

"No one knows that I have a sister except for my wife. Do you really think I would've come here if I thought I was putting my nephews and my niece in danger?"

She sighed and dropped her cold glare from his face. "No, because you are a good uncle to my kids. You love them, you wouldn't put them in harm's way." She opened the door a little wider and motioned for them to come inside. "Come in, I'll fetch the two of you something to eat."

* * *

Inside the house was beautiful; Elsie could see that a lot of time and money had been poured into the interior. As she sat down at the long table that was in the middle of the house, she caught her first glimpse of Brynjolf as an uncle. Two boys ran down the stairs towards him, one about fourteen and the other not much older. They swarmed their uncle, attacking him with love.

"Horik, Carsten… Get off your uncle Brynjolf at once." Braelie commanded as she presented them all with a hearty pot of stew.

"There's no harm done, they're just boys being boys." He said as he ruffled the tops of their head.

"Where have you been uncle Brynjolf?" Horik said as claimed the seat across from his uncle.

"I've been here, there and everywhere." He replied coyly; he didn't want his nephews knowing what he did for a living.

"Who's that, Uncle Bryn?" Carsten couldn't tear his eyes away from Elsie, his curiosity was eating at him.

"I'm your uncle's wife, my name is Elsie." She smiled at him, resting her head on her hand.

"So, you're our aunt?"

Elsie looked to Brynjolf before nodding at the two boys. "Yes, I am."

"Leave them alone boys, let them eat their supper; they've travelled a long way to be here." Braelie plated the stew for her children and looked towards the staircase. "Where is Vanessa?"

"She was playing in her room." Horik replied with his mouth full.

Braelie rolled her eyes and sat at the table. "And I suppose you didn't tell her that your uncle was here?"

"I'll go up and get her." Brynjolf said as he got up from the table. "Don't be mad at the boys Brae, they're just excited that we're here. Ain't that right, lads?"

* * *

Braelie watched Brynjolf as he ascended the stairs and turned to his bride. "So, how long have the two of you been married?"

Elsie looked at her and tried to think about her answer; she had no idea how long they had been travelling. "A couple of weeks, it hasn't been that long."

Braelie nodded and leaned into her chair. "Good, I thought he had been keeping you a secret from me. Did the two of you have a big wedding?"

"No, we had a secret one. It was just the two of us and the priest." Elsie played with the contents of her bowl. There was something about the smell of it that was putting her off. "Neither of us were the marrying type, but we found each other, and our opinions changed."

Their conversation was interrupted with Brynjolf returned with his niece in his arms. She was clinging onto him for dear life as they exchanged whispers. She could see why Vanessa was his favourite; they shared a resemblance. The girl was no older than six and Elsie could see that they shared a tight bond. Brynjolf looked at Elsie with a smile as he sat beside her, Vanessa planted shyly in Elsie's direction.

"This is the lass I was telling you about, isn't she beautiful." Brynjolf whispered into Vanessa's ear. When she nodded bashfully, Brynjolf let out a chuckle.

"I think you're beautiful too." Elsie said with a warm smile as she held her hand out towards the girl.

Vanessa looked up at Brynjolf for a bit of confidence before placing her hand in Elsie's. "Thank you."

Elsie glanced at Brynjolf, noticing how happy he was to have his family around him again. She hadn't saw this side of him, she knew that he wanted a family of his own and as she watched him interact with the children, she could see that he was going to be a good father someday. She doubted her own capability of being a mother; she never yearned for motherhood like most women did, but as she saw the glint in her husband's eye, she started to want that life a little more.

* * *

"I'll set the two of you up in the cabin on the outskirts of our grounds. It's where Pascale and I stayed before the house was built, we just haven't had the heart to tear it down yet." Braelie said as she led them through her farm, carrying some bed linen.

"How come?" Elsie said as she looked through the dresses Braelie provided her.

"It was all we had for a while; Horik was born in the cabin and we had a lot of memories here."

"I'm surprised you're so sentimental, Brae." Brynjolf commented as he watched the animals around them.

"When it comes to my children, I am." She unlocked the door of the cabin and handed him the key before dumping the bed linen onto Elsie's pile. "You can come by for breakfast and dinner if you wish. It'll be nice to have a bit of company."

"We'll see you in the morning." Brynjolf smiled at his sister before ushering Elsie into the cabin, locking the door behind him. "Well lass, home sweet home."

Elsie looked around the cabin with a small smile before setting everything down. "It's a lot bigger than expected."

"It's big enough for us. I'm surprised Braelie didn't put us in the basement." He stepped towards the fireplace, setting it up for Elsie to light.

"Are we going to be safe here?" she said as she started to put their bed together. Now that she was out of the house and away from the loud children, her mind roamed back to the obstacle that stood between her and her life with Brynjolf; the assassin.

"This is the safest place for us to be, lass. I wouldn't have brought you here if we could be found." He placed his hands on her shoulders and placed a kiss on her neck. "Relax, we are going to be fine here."

She spun around in his arms and gripped onto his cuirass as she looked up at his face. "I just don't want you to get hurt. I know that you would do anything to protect me."

"I'm your husband, no one is going to lay a finger on you," he brushed his lips against hers, lingering for a moment, "except for me."

She smiled against his kiss and twirled her fingers into his hair. "I like the sound of that."

* * *

 **A:N Thank you for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. Brynjolf and Elsie may be safe for now but they aren't out of the woods just yet. Next chapter I'm going to delve deeper into Brynjolf and Braelie's relationship and unveil some more of Brynjolf's past. Thank you again for reading!**


	16. XVI: Vexed

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **XVI: Vexed**

* * *

The cistern was eerily quiet, most of the thieves were gone, all except Odin. Vex regarded him for a moment as he shook his head frustratedly while reading through the ledgers. When he realised she was in the room, he slammed the book shut and turned the corners of his mouth into a false smile. It was hard for him to fake it, knowing what he knew about her.

"Vex, I didn't hear you come in. How was that burglary job?" he said almost in a sigh.

"It was fine, got what the Guild was looking for," she slung her satchel onto Odin's desk and took out the jewelled goblet, admiring the twinkle in the stones under the light, "what's got you so worked up?"

"It's nothing to concern yourself about." He reached out for the goblet but Vex kept it against her chest.

"If it has something to do with the Guild, then I am concerned." She raised a brow at him before setting her prize back onto the table. "Delvin and I are the only two senior members around, you can trust me with your worries."

Odin watched her before leaning back into his chair. "We're starting to dip in profits and when I say dip, I mean lower than when Mercer was robbing us blind. With Brynjolf and Elsie running for their lives, we're not pulling in the money like we were."

"Even though everyone is out doing their bit, we're still falling behind targets?"

"Every high paying job I had lined up required Elsie's magic and Brynjolf's expertise; I've had to postpone them until further notice which means some clients aren't happy. Some are even threatening to back away from the Guild."

She furrowed her brows and leant against the table, her back to Odin and her arms crossed. "Send Dirge out to knock some sense into these clients."

"If it was that easy, don't you think I would've done that by now?" He placed a hand over his eyes and pressed his lips together. "It's not just the money, Ysolda is getting close to her due date and I was expecting Brynjolf to fill my boots for a month or two; he was the best one for the job. But he won't come back until Elsie is safe. There's no one to take my place."

"There is no one more qualified than me, I will take the position until Brynjolf returns."

"I'm sorry Vex, but you don't know the ins and outs of what I do, Brynjolf was already starting to take on some of my responsibilities. I'll just have to rely on the luck of the Divines to get everything back to normal." Odin got onto his feet and lifted all his belongings, except the ledger. "I'm sorry for burdening you, Vex. I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

She sat on the desk, watching Odin leave the cistern with a frown; she had ruined everything, but she didn't feel the guilt that she was supposed to be feeling. As she leant back, her hand touched the ledger and as she went to call out for Odin, the thought of having one peek was much more alluring than doing the right thing. She took one last look around the room before she moved the book onto her lap.

She let her fingers flick through the pages furiously until she found the takings for the last month and she was in disbelief. They were losing money like crazy; not because of theft like before, but to pay clients into sticking by the Guild. If things kept going this way, then there would no longer be a Guild, and it broke her heart a little. Suddenly, that guilt she should've felt when she paid that assassin came flooding into her. It was too late now; the Dark Brotherhood wouldn't call off a job over cold feet. She had never wanted Elsie to win so badly as she did now.

* * *

Odin stepped into his home and listened to the faint steps above him. Ysolda had started to nest in anticipation of their child; with everything going on, he was going to allow himself to enjoy these next couple of months. He climbed the stairs quickly and saw her folding the tiny clothes and grinning at the small socks in her hands. He cleared his throat before walking into the room and wrapped his arms around her, his head rested on her shoulder.

"How are you feeling today? Have you been able to eat?" he asked with an air of concern.

"I haven't been able to stop eating, this child has a massive appetite just like it's father." She smiled as she turned her head to kiss him. "How did things go? Do you think Vex fell for the fake ledger?"

He placed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "I hope so, if she confesses, we can work through things as a family, if not, then I don't know what I'm going to do with her."

"Have faith, Odin… Things will work out." Ysolda broke from his embrace and returned to folding her clothes. "But first you better write that letter to Brynjolf, he needs to know."

"You're right but I'm dreading it. How do I tell him that his friend did this to his love? I can see his face as he reads what I have to tell him; twisted in anger."

"He'll be angry at first, but Brynjolf is a good man, he will forgive her." Ysolda went quiet for a moment, her brows furrowed. "Although, it probably won't be right away."

"Thanks, that made me feel a lot better." He said in a sarcastic tone as he sat down on the bed. He was trying to choose his words wisely; he was only going to get one shot at sending a letter. He didn't want the assassin intercepting his courier and finding out Elsie's location. He also couldn't risk angering Brynjolf to the point of his early return. He had to think carefully.

* * *

The second Delvin returned to the cistern, Vex approached him with a dire look on her stern face; it was the first time he had ever saw Vex seem so… vexed. He handed her a tankard of mead and waved her to one of the seats in the Flagon, watching as she downed the mead and demand another.

"Well well, what has gotten into you?"

"I've made a grave mistake, Delvin. I need you to promise me that no matter what I say to you, it remains between the two of us."

He placed an arm behind his back, crossing his fingers as he said, "It'll remain between us, you have my word."

She let out a sigh of relief and presented Delvin with the ledger Odin had left on his desk. "Things are getting worse around here and I don't know how long the Guild can survive. I'm worried about our future here." She was sincere, the Guild had been her home for decades. To have something that she set in motion cause so much destruction to the thing she loved the most; it was devastating for her.

Delvin looked through the pages, his forehead scrunching up in a wrinkle as he read the numbers aloud. "You're right, this is really bad. Did you steal this from Odin?"

"I didn't steal it, he left it and I borrowed it. That's not the point, the point is I feel so guilty about the way the Guild is deteriorating right in front of our eyes, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"Why do you feel guilty? You had nothing to do with that assassin." There was one thing that Delvin was skilled at, and that was fishing. The way she looked at him, all teary eyed; he knew that she was going to confess.

"I don't want you to get mad when I say this, but I lied to you. I performed the Black Sacrament and targeted Elsie." She placed her head into her hands. "I let my jealousy and my rage take over me again. There's literally nothing we can do to stop this and save the Guild."

Delvin took Vex's hand, he was surprised when she didn't yank it from his grasp. "I'm not surprised that you lied and I'm not angry at you for it," he lied convincingly, "but I think that the best thing for you to do is come clean to Odin before he finds out for himself. Secrets don't stay secret for long."

"If I go to Odin, he will outcast me. One way or the other, I'm going to lose the Guild, but I'd rather do it with my dignity."

"Look at the way Odin treated Karliah after she tried to take Elsie out; he has compassion. The man isn't Mercer, he will listen, and he will give you a second chance."

"Do you really think so?" Her eyes glistened with hope as she looked up at Delvin and when he nodded at her, she felt reassured. "But what about Brynjolf? He's never going to speak to me again."

"Bryn will get over it; it'll take time, but he too is capable of forgiving a friend."

"Then it's settled, when he returns to the cistern, I'll tell him what I did and beg for his forgiveness… For the Guild's forgiveness. Hell, I'll even beg for Elsie's forgiveness if it means continuing here." She squeezed Delvin's hand and got onto her feet, taking the ledger back into her grasp. "I knew I could confide in you."

He watched her walk away, the ledger pressed to her chest and an air of resolution about her. Delvin couldn't help but feel like he had betrayed her, just a little bit. If it was for the good of the Guild, then he would be able to get over it.

* * *

There was nothing more peaceful than the countryside, working with the animals and tending to the land. Elsie was starting to get used to this way of life and she knew that when the time came for her and Brynjolf to return to the city that she would dread it a tiny bit. She looked over at him, watching him feed the chickens with his niece rested on his hip and his two nephews messing around close by.

"How are you feeling today?" Braelie said from behind her, she couldn't help but smirk as Elsie jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Now that I've had a couple of home cooked meals, that I can actually keep down, I'm feeling a lot better." Elsie rested her hands on her hips and glanced over her shoulder at Brynjolf's sister.

"I meant with your impending doom, not my cooking."

"The doom is still weighing on my mind, although I have to admit, not as much as before."

"How come?"

"Finally being settled and not having to worry about where we're going to sleep or get our next meal has took a lot of pressure off." She turned to Braelie, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, and I truly mean thank you for taking us in."

She placed her hand over Elsie's and nodded. "You are family, family doesn't turn away their own." Braelie went to step away but paused for a moment. "And it's finally nice to see you out of that dirty, old armour."

"I think with all the good food I've been eating; the armour has become far too snug for me to wear all the time."

She raised her brows at Elsie and took in a deep breath. "Yes, it has to be the food." She looked around Elsie's frame and called out to her children. "Come on in, your father's returning tonight, and your rooms are horrendous."

* * *

"Seems like the two of you are finally getting on; must admit that it's nice to see." Brynjolf spoke lowly into Elsie's ear as he wrapped his arms around her body.

"I think Braelie is warming up to me a little bit."

"Well, I would like to think so; we've been here for almost a month now, lass. If she hadn't have started to get used to us being here, I would've had to step in and say something."

"A month, really? At least there's no need to say anything."

"Braelie isn't the worst, her husband on the other hand; he's a different matter." Brynjolf pulled away from his wife and led her by the hand back to their little cabin.

"I haven't heard Braelie talk about Pascale that much, what is he like?"

"He's a horrid little man obsessed with gold and desperate to spend as little time with his kin as possible. Every couple of months or so he'll make an appearance before he sets off on another adventure." He paused for a moment outside of the cabin, staring at the vain house Pascale had built. "This is a cruel thing to say, but if I can't speak freely with you…"

"Just say what's on your mind, I won't judge you." She looked up at him reassuringly and gave him a comforting nod.

"Sometimes I pray to the divines that he doesn't return, that something or someone finally puts an end to that man. They would be better off without him." He looked down at his wife's face with a frown. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"No," she placed her hand on his arm and followed him inside, "it means that you care about your sister and her kids. Look at the way I turned out because my father was absent, Horik, Carsten and Vanessa on the other hand are lucky to have a mother that would do anything and everything for them."

Brynjolf placed both of his rough hands on Elsie's delicate face and placed a kiss on her mouth. "How can you make me feel so reassured, every single time a doubt comes into my head?"

"Because you believe in what I say; if we can't speak freely with one another, then there's no one on Nirn that we can speak to. Speaking of… There's actually something that I need to tell you"

* * *

There was a knock at the door that made Brynjolf step away from Elsie before she could say anything. When he opened the door, he saw a courier standing with a sealed letter in his hand. He whispered something in Brynjolf's ear before handing the letter into his possession. When Brynjolf gave him the nod, the courier ran away from the cabin as fast as he could. He set the letter down and turned to see his wife watching him, a confused look across her face.

"It's a letter from Odin; we've been in touch since we arrived here." He clarified as he moved towards the fireplace, warming himself by the flames.

"Aren't you going to open it? It could be important."

"It can wait until morning, lass. What did you want to speak to me about?"

"I might be wrong when I say this, but I want you to sit before I tell you."

He let out a little laugh and looked over his shoulder at her. "Whatever it is that you have to tell me, I think I'll be fine standing."

She stepped towards him, her arms folded across her chest and her lips pressed together. "I haven't bled since we left Riften; I was certain it was because we were starved most of the time but then we came here, and I couldn't eat without feeling awful. Then, the other day I noticed that my armour that used to fit me like a glove, wouldn't buckle without feeling tight." She placed her hand over her mouth, biting her finger gently as she tried to get the words out. "I think we're having a child, Brynjolf. I'm almost certain of it."

He moved towards the bed and sat on the edge, a look of disbelief on his face. "Shor's bones…" Brynjolf stared into her eyes, his face slightly paler than before. "Are you sure, lass?"

She nodded and stepped towards him, standing in between his legs. Elsie lifted his hand to her belly and let him feel the tiniest bump through her dress. "Either that or your sister has been feeding me lard."

* * *

His hands traced the slightest outline as he tried to wrap his head around Elsie's news; it felt like everything he had ever wanted was falling into his lap, but it made the attempt on her life even more deadly. He placed his head on her body, gripping onto her as if he wasn't going to let her go.

"You have no idea how happy I am in this moment but know this because I won't apologise for it; when that assassin comes because we won't out run him forever, I will die to protect you and our child."

She ran her fingers through his locks, twirling the ends as she listened to his words. Elsie couldn't bear the thought of being without Brynjolf; she wasn't going to entertain the idea. Instead she just kissed the top of his head and said a silent prayer to Nocturnal that she would protect them both from Sithis.

* * *

 **A:N I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for reading this chapter, I know it's a little shorter than usual, but I felt that if I continued with the chapter, it wouldn't end as well. What do you guys think will happen next? Again, thank you for reading and for your continued support!**


	17. XVII: The Ultimate Betrayal

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **XVII: The Ultimate Betrayal**

* * *

He couldn't keep the news between himself and Elsie, with the news of a new arrival to the family the dinner that they usually shared became a feast to celebrate the light that had come from this dark time in the newly married couple's lives. As Vanessa discussed her wishes for a girl to play with, no one remembered about Pascale's planned arrival and when no one heard him enter the house, it only stirred the frustration he felt constantly. He cleared his throat bitterly and watched every eye in the room flicker towards him.

"Papa!" Vanessa squealed in delight as she ran towards her father's cold embrace.

"Hello my littlest divine." He said as he scooped her up into his arms. He circled the table, firstly patting both his boys on their heads then moving to his wife, placing a distant kiss on the top of her head. "I see Brynjolf has returned."

"You're as observant as ever." Brynjolf commented as he turned his head away from his brother-in-law.

Pascale looked at Elsie with a raised brow and a sinister looking smirk on his face. "And who might you be?"

When Brynjolf described Pascale as a horrid little man, he was true; he was a Breton, like herself, but for a Breton male, he was small and stout. She could see by his hairline that he was balding rapidly and by the look in his eye, she could tell that he wasn't pleased to see the couple sitting at his table.

"This is my wife, Elsie."

"How did you manage to find someone that would actually want you, Brynjolf?" he smirked and sat at the head of the table, holding part of a loaf in his hand, chewing on it obnoxiously loud as he kept his eyes locked on the brunette. "I recognise your face, by any chance were you a whore in Daggerfall?"

Elsie clenched her jaw and looked at Brynjolf as he glared at Pascale, he was gripping so hard onto the table that his fingers had gone bright red. "No, I've never been a whore."

"Whores are the type of girls our Brynjolf usually finds himself attracted to."

"Pas, that's enough." Braelie said as she buried her head into her hand, desperately hoping that her husband would shut up.

"Do you really think you should be using that type of language around your children?" Elsie raised her brow at him, unimpressed by the man she was staring at.

"They may as well learn the ways of life now. If you weren't a whore, then how do I know your face? I'm sure it'll come to me." He shrugged a little and leaned back into his chair, his eyes unwavering from Elsie's face. "How did Brynjolf bag you? You are far too beautiful to be married to him, look at him, sitting in that chair like an uncivilised brute."

"Uncivilised brute? That was weak, even for you lad. You know all about being weak, don't you?" Brynjolf jabbed back. "How many times have I had to come to your rescue because you can't feed your family? Must be about twenty times now."

"Only a classless man like yourself would discuss business transactions in front of a man's family." He was trying to play off Brynjolf's insult like it was no big deal, but it had hit a nerve.

Elsie looked to Braelie, exchanging a worried expression as the two men bit back at each other time and time again.

"Kids, go to your rooms, I'll be up soon to tuck you in." she said as sweetly as she could, Braelie knew by their little faces that they were shocked and upset by their father.

"If I'm classless, then what would you call a man that speaks vulgarly in front of his kin?" Brynjolf raised a brow and tried to come off as cool as he could be, but his stance gave away his true feelings; he was furious.

"A man that's not afraid to shelter them from the real world, unlike their mother." He turned his attention to Braelie, shaking his head. "I thought you Nord women were supposed to be strong."

"Oh, we are and if you ever upset our children again, you will live to regret it." She got onto her feet and looked at her brother. "I hope to see the two of you in the morning," she looked at Elsie sympathetically, throwing a comforting smile in her direction, "I apologise on behalf of my arrogant oaf of a husband."

When everyone got up from the table, leaving Pascale to sit by himself, he banged his fist off the table. "So, I am to eat by myself?"

"Perhaps if you had a bit of class about you, people would be able to tolerate you in moderation." Elsie quipped as she slid her hand into Brynjolf's allowing him to lead her out of that house as quickly as possible.

* * *

She tried to keep up with him as best as she could as he stormed across the land towards the bungalow they shared. Elsie had saw Brynjolf when he was angry, but she had never saw him like this. He wouldn't speak, even when they got into the quiet. She watched him as he stood by the fire, staring into the flames as he replayed Pascale's words over and over in his mind. He finally lost his temper and flung a bottle of mead against the wall, causing Elsie to jump slightly. She approached him, her hand outstretched towards him, but he stopped her from getting any closer. He needed his time to calm down.

"I'm sorry for frightening you, lass but the way he spoke to you," he was so riled up that he was stammering over his words.

"I know, but do you really think I'm going to let his words get to me? He's nothing to me." When he allowed her to come nearer, she placed her hands on his chest and stared up at his face with a small smile. "I could see that you were holding your tongue, we're a guest in his household and we need the shelter. Had we been in Riften,"

"I would've cut him down where he stood." He ran his hands along her face and let out a frustrated sigh. "I've been dreading his return, he thinks that because he has money that he can speak to whoever he wants in whatever way he wants."

"He's a spiteful man that will get what's coming to him, you on the other hand, you're the better man and you can sleep easily knowing that." She kissed him gently and nodded towards the mess he created. "Will you please clean that?"

He nodded as he stroked the back of her head tenderly. "Of course, lass." He pulled away from their embrace and stepped towards the wet, broken glass, sweeping it into a pile. "Get yourself ready for bed, I'm sure you're exhausted."

"I'll sleep when you come to bed," she slid her dress off her body and removed her under garments before she climbed into the cold bed.

"I'm not tired. I'm too full of adrenaline to get some shut eye. You need it, you're growing our child in your womb." His smile returned as he thought about their baby, if he could get rid of that assassin, then life could be blissful for them.

"I suppose you're right for once," she returned his smile and lay back, her arm rested underneath her head, "what will you do while I sleep?"

"Get rid of this glass and read that letter," he nodded towards the table and a raised brow, "though I'm not looking forward to opening it. Could be good news or it could be bad news."

"Let's hope for the good, the sooner we get back to the city the better." She said with a yawn.

"I couldn't agree with you more, lass."

* * *

Vex waited for what seemed like an eternity, it wasn't like Odin to be late to a meeting especially when she wrote that it was dire. When she saw Delvin approach her, she raised a brow and stepped towards him. He had more sweat on his forehead than usual, so something had to be wrong.

"What's going on? You look awful." She commented as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Ysolda's waters broke last night, Odin won't be back at the Guild for a few weeks, maybe longer."

"So, what does that mean? Without Brynjolf here, who's taking over?"

Delvin shook his head and let out a sigh. "I have no clue but whoever it is, Odin trusts them enough to take this meeting with you. Apparently, they have possession of your letter and whatever conclusion they come to, Odin will back it."

It felt like her stomach had dropped out of her ass, whoever it was that was filling in for Odin wouldn't be as lenient as their Guild master; automatically she started to fear for the worst.

* * *

They stepped into the cistern, meshing into the crowd of thieves that had returned from their duties to welcome the temporary Guild master with open arms. When the entrance opened, they watched eagerly for a glimpse so that they could place their bets. When Vex noticed who it was, she let a smirk break across her face; Karliah was the one that Odin trusted most, apart from Brynjolf, and like herself, Karliah also had a rickety past with Elsie. There was a slither of hope that chance would be on Vex's side.

"As many of you are aware, Odin and his wife are preparing to welcome their child into the world and with Brynjolf's absence, Odin has intrusted me with looking after the Guild. I am aware that we have spiralled into dark times once again, but I am confident that the Guild will find their footing in Skyrim once again. There are a few matters that I wish to discuss with a couple of you, but I will start with the most pressing matter." Karliah's eyes met Vex's and with a nod, she made her way through the gathering of thieves to whisk Vex away.

* * *

"It's great to have you back with us, Karliah." Vex said confidently as she stepped into Odin's work space. "Perhaps you can be the one to get us out of this rut."

"Possibly, but we shall see." Karliah took a seat behind the desk and encouraged Vex to sit across from her. "I read your letter to Odin, I expect you will be as open with me as you were going to be with him."

Vex nodded and cleared her throat. "I'm sure you're aware of the threat that drove Brynjolf and Elsie away from the Guild."

The Dark Elf watched the Imperial closely and let out a sigh. "I am, there is nothing more unfortunate than having to out run the Dark Brotherhood."

"You've probably been informed also that there has been a murky history between Elsie and I, you of all people can understand how her past can offend some people in this Guild."

Karliah was unimpressed by Vex's assumptions and simply nodded at her.

"In my lapse of judgement, I was the one that performed the Black Sacrament. I whole heartedly regret this decision. Seeing the destruction that it's caused this Guild has broken my heart."

"I'm surprised to hear that you had a heart to begin with." She quipped with a sigh. "I'm very disappointed that you would use my past with Elsie to your advantage; what happened between the two of us is dead and buried. Before Brynjolf took Elsie to his secret location, they came to speak with me, and I had the chance to apologise to Elsie for my assumption about her." Karliah took a moment to watch Vex squirm in her seat before she continued to speak. "As for your punishment, I think it is only fitting that you are stripped of your ranking within the Guild. I'll provide you with basic armour and expect you to complete tasks as every other Guild member does."

"You're demoting me? I'm sorry Karliah but I'd have to dispute this punishment; during this hard time, is it wise to get rid of your aid?"

"Why would I want help from someone that would stab me in the back? You're lucky that I haven't exiled you because I'm positive that's what Brynjolf would suggest. But Odin is a man all about second chances and he has urged me to think about the Guild first."

"This is ridiculous," Vex got onto her feet and placed her hands on the desk, "once Odin returns, I will tell him my side of the story and he will change his mind."

"I don't think he will. My plan is to let Elsie fill your position, after all she has been doing most of the work here and has shown great potential since joining the Guild."

"You cannot be serious."

"Oh, but I am. Be a dear and send Delvin into me." Karliah smiled at Vex and watched her storm out of the room, she took some joy in seeing Vex put back into her place.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when Elsie woke to the sound of Brynjolf's quill scratching against the piece of paper furiously. She sat up, pulling the covers along with her and watched him in concern before clearing her throat. He didn't say anything or even acknowledge her, and it made her worry. If he was writing a letter this late at night, then Odin's letter had to have been bad news. She got out of bed, wrapping the blanket around her frame and securing it with a tuck at her breastbone as she made her way towards her husband.

"Bryn, what's going on?"

He put down his quill and handed his wife the letter. "Read it for yourself, lass. If I even spoke about it out loud, I would lose my mind."

She skimmed through the letter, sitting down as she got to the part that must've angered Brynjolf. Elsie didn't want to believe what she was reading, but if Delvin believed it to be true, then it had to have been. "Vex caused the Dark Brotherhood to target me?"

"Delvin believes so, yes. He's her closest friend and even he is doubting her morals. Odin plans to get a confession out of her but the lass is smart, she'll only confess if she thinks she can get out of her punishment." When his wife didn't respond, he got out of his chair and crouched down in front of her. "I know that this isn't what you wanted to hear, that you hoped it wasn't someone from within the Guild."

"I'm more concerned about you, Brynjolf. I will deal with my feelings towards Vex when I come face to face with her, but you need to sleep. Your letter can wait."

He placed his hand on her knee, stroking the small bit of exposed skin with his thumb as he looked into her eyes. "Lass, I am seething with rage, it would be a miracle if I got some rest tonight."

"At least try, this can wait until we get rid of that assassin. Both of us need to be sharp enough to take on a trained killer."

He nodded and let out a deep breath as he got onto his feet. "Get back into bed, I'll be with you in a moment."

"No, this time I'm waiting for you."

He smiled ever so slightly and got himself ready for bed, hanging his armour by the fireplace before lying beside his wife, taking her into his arms. "Is this better?"

"Much better." She rested her head on his chest, suddenly feeling wide awake herself. Her mind created questions that she was itching to ask but she worried about unsettling Brynjolf. When she looked up at him, she could see that he wasn't even attempting to sleep. "Can I speak freely for a second?"

"Of course, lass." His voice sounded tired.

"Do you think Odin will exile her?"

"I'm not sure, you know as well as I do that the man is all about redemption. We will have to face Vex but I don't know what he'll do with her."

"If I make it out of this alive, I swear to you I will trail her head from her shoulders the next time I see her."

Brynjolf looked down at her and tried to soothe her. "Don't think about it, you don't need to be stressing out over this situation, lass. I will deal with Vex, you concentrate on yourself."

* * *

The atmosphere over breakfast was very tense, even little Vanessa couldn't make the adults look up from their bowls. Elsie felt very awkward being in the same room as Pascale, she could feel him staring at her and it made her skin crawl. She noticed his fork pointed at her face, and when she looked up at Brynjolf, he was already staring at Pascale.

"I was thinking last night, and I know where I've seen your face before."

"Pascale just drop this. Nobody wants trouble especially over breakfast." Braelie sounded annoyed at her husband. Brynjolf could only assume that after the arguments that erupted last night that the two of them didn't have an easy night either.

Instead of listening to his wife, Pascale pressed the matter further. "What part of High Rock are you from?"

"Daggerfall." She raised her brow at him, she was curious to see where this was leading to although she didn't want another fuss to be made in front of the children.

"You see, I lived in Daggerfall for many years before I moved to Skyrim. There was a reason I moved here, I thought it would be a safer place to start a family, away from thieves."

Brynjolf smirked to himself and shook his head. "I don't think you picked the right place, then."

Pascale glanced at Brynjolf before turning his attention back to Elsie. "I can remember you vividly, you must've been no older than Carsten when you robbed me blind."

"I don't think so, Pascale." Elsie moved to take another bite from her breakfast, but he wasn't going to let this go.

"Your mother, she kept her own farm just outside the city. Your father had run off on her and she raised you herself." By the look on Elsie's face, he could tell that he was right about her. "Braelie said I was a mad man, that I was causing trouble where it wasn't welcome." He turned to his wife with a smug look. "I told you I was right. You're letting a sneak thief into our house. You may make sure nothing goes missing or I'll have her head."

"I was a child then, things have changed." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and watched Pascale from the corner of her eye. "But reflecting back, I only stole from the wrongdoers, so you must've deserved it."

"Wrongdoers? I was a well-respected man," he looked at Brynjolf with his brows raised, "are you going to let your wife speak to me like that?"

Brynjolf looked at Elsie, nodding in agreement with Pascale. "He's right, you shouldn't speak to him like that. I think the word you were looking for was scum."

"That was the word I was looking for, thank you for being a supportive husband." She grinned at him and scooped up her porridge as she looked at Pascale victoriously. For the first time since she met the man, he was speechless, luckily for them all.

* * *

 **A:N What do you guys think of Pascale? I'm planning on moving Brynjolf and Elsie away from Braelie's house in the next chapter and wanted to introduce his character because he's going to cause a lot of problems for the couple. Let me know what you think, and thank you for reading!**


	18. XVIII: If Fate Allows It

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **XVIII: If Fate Allows It**

* * *

They didn't dare leave the comfort of the bungalow, every time Elsie looked at Pascale's greasy face, she felt nauseous. Brynjolf had left their temporary home for one occasion; to see a blacksmith about some armour for Elsie. If they were found by the assassin and she was wearing a simple dress with no protection, he couldn't bear the thought of her being practically defenceless. She smiled as she put it on and admired the craftmanship in the mirror, it fit her, not like her old armour did but she was growing in size and the armour would have to accommodate that.

"What do you think, lass? Will it do?"

"This is a real lifesaver, Brynjolf." She ran her hand along the front, noticing how hard it felt underneath her skin. "Is there a plate in here?"

"Yes, it's a thin sheet of steel." He got onto his feet and stood behind her, his hand reaching around her body to touch her growing belly. "The steel will protect the baby, should the assassin try to…"

"It makes sense," she looked at him through the reflection and noticed his frown, "I'll wear the armour at all times."

"This is only temporary, my love, I've sent letters to trusted friends around Skyrim for information about the assassin. I will find a name and I will hunt him down. "

"I have every faith that you will, but you cannot let this drive you insane, Bryn. You've been very restless at night, you're not sleeping well enough."

"I've been hearing noises around the bungalow, especially in the early hours. It's hard to sleep when I'm waiting for an ambush, lass." He moved towards their table and picked up a tankard of mead, downing it almost instantly. "You don't need to worry about me."

Elsie pursed her lips and tucked her head towards her chest; Brynjolf said she didn't need to worry but she loved him and all she could do was watch him spiral into his own fears. This had to end, she wasn't going to give birth to their first born in the shadows, in fear that the Dark Brotherhood would find them when they were least expecting it. She prayed that someone would come forward with useful information before she loses her life.

* * *

It was the first time in days that the sun had come out and with the sun, the frost that covered their land melted away. Horik and Carsten enjoyed being out in the fresh air, working on the land but since Brynjolf didn't come to the house, things had become dark for the family of five; Pascale enjoyed nothing more than getting drunk and with the looseness of his inhibitions, his dark side became prominent. The boys were thankful for the spring frost to melt away.

"Horik, is something wrong?" Brynjolf could see by the look on his nephew's face that all was not well.

"Uncle Brynjolf, will you help us milk the cows?" his voice was a little shaky, so he tried to cover up how terrified he was by clearing his throat. It only made Brynjolf's suspicions grow.

"Of course, but doesn't your mother usually do that?" when Horik said nothing, Brynjolf placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Whatever has you so tongue tied, you can tell me lad."

"Will you milk the cows with us?" he pressed desperately. When Brynjolf nodded, he led him to the small patch of land on the farm where they kept their livestock. Carsten had already got stuck in and had filled a bucket by the time they arrived. "Carsten, Uncle Brynjolf is here."

* * *

Carsten stopped what he was doing and came out from under the cow, the sunshine only highlighted the bruise underneath the boy's eye. It shocked Brynjolf as he rushed to his nephew's side to get a closer look.

"Horik, fetch your brother a fresh piece of meat, the bloodier the better." He looked at Horik and nodded at him with a small smile. "Quickly, lad." Once the youngest of the boys had run off, Brynjolf turned his attention back to Carsten. "Tell me what happened, who did this to you?"

"It was father, he was in such a terrible mood." His gaze shifted to the floor when Brynjolf gripped his chin, tilting his head up to inspect the mark on the boy's face.

"He hit you, I can see the mark of his ring under your eye." He let out a sigh, he couldn't get angry again in front of the children, he didn't want to be the one they were terrified of; they should be terrified of anyone at their age. "Does your mother know?"

Carsten nodded and bit his lip, he was about to say something but decided that it was better if he didn't.

"Spit it out lad, you know that you can tell me anything."

Horik ran back over to them with a freshly cut piece of beef in his hand. The blood was still dripping from the muscle as Horik handed it over.

"What are you going to do with that?" Horik asked curiously.

"I'm going to place it over Carsten's eye." He looked at the eldest and instructed him to close his eye before he placed the meat onto his face. "It'll heal him quicker." Brynjolf closed his own eyes for a moment before turning to Horik, waving him over with his free hand. Once his nephews were in his grasp, he looked at them in turn, Carsten first and then Horik. "Did he hurt you too? What about Vanessa?"

Horik shook his head and kept a tight hold on Brynjolf's cuirass. "I took Vanessa out of the room and hid in the basement."

"Good lad, what about your mother? Where is she?"

* * *

"I'm here, Brynjolf." Braelie said as she approached her brother and her sons. Her face was bloodied and bruised, she had got the worse of his attack. Her appearance left her brother speechless and vengeful.

"By the gods, what has he done to you, Brae?" Brynjolf moved away from his nephews and cupped his sister's face carefully, watching as she winced at every soft touch. "What caused this?"

"He's gone mad with drink, Brynjolf. Since he came home, he's been drinking non-stop and rambling about you and Elsie. Last night it all came to a head, he said something about finishing something once and for all. I couldn't listen to him any longer and shouted at him in anger. He snapped." Braelie looked at Carsten with a sad smile, reaching for his hand, finding comfort when he took it. "Carsten rushed down and got in between us, unfortunately his father didn't take kindly to his son's protective stance."

"You can't live like this, he's gone too far this time. I won't stand for it."

"I can't live without his money; how am I supposed to support three kids without the gold he brings home?"

"No gold in the world is worth taking a beating from your husband, from letting your kids take a beating from their father," Brynjolf looked away in disgust. "I will provide you with monthly payments of gold, you can continue to live in this house and on this land."

"I can't ask you to do that, not when you have your own child on the way."

"I can afford it." He stepped away from his nephews, his sister under his protective wing. "Pascale has to be dealt with because he will never stop and the next thing, he does to you will be worse."

"He should die for what he did to Carsten," her eyes longed for her son's embrace and she knew that she had to protect all of her kids, no matter the cost, "but I'm not strong enough to deal the blow."

"I'll get rid of him, and that'll be the end of it."

* * *

Her labour was long and strenuous but seeing their blue-eyed boy in her arms made all the pain and suffering worth it. Ysolda cooed down at her son before inviting her husband to lie beside them. She felt comforted and safe in his arms as she watched him stroke his fat little cheek with his finger. This was what she had always wanted for them and to see their life continuing in their son's eyes brought her joy.

"We're going to need to give him a name." Odin reminded her softly as he gazed down at the top of her red head.

"What kind of name would suit the son of the Dragonborn?" she grinned up at him as she positioned the child so that he could feed from her breast.

"Something powerful that will strike fear into his enemies."

"Olav?" she suggested as she looked down to her child's face. "He could look like an Olav."

"Definitely not, something more guttural like Hakon or Ludvik."

Ysolda screwed up her face, shaking her head at every suggestion he threw her way. "I have one last name in mind, I think it's perfect."

"Let me hear."

She couldn't keep the smile from her face as she met Odin's gaze. "Thorin, it's soft but if shouted, could strike fear as you wished."

Once the child unlatched from Ysolda, he gently picked him up, placing him over his shoulder. The more that he thought about the name, the more the Dragonborn grew to like it.

"Thorin Mjerson, do you like your name?" he got onto his feet and rubbed the baby's back as he spoke to him. "We should tell the world that we've finally found a name for our babe."

"So, you actually agree with me for a change?" Ysolda slowly got onto her feet, fixing her dress back around her shoulders. "How strange this is."

"I can't wait to tell Brynjolf the good news." Odin had forgot that his friend wouldn't be in the cistern when he returned; with his bliss came the forgetfulness. He felt Ysolda's touch on his back and saw the reassurance in her smile.

"They will return soon. Mark my words."

"I hope so, it would soothe my soul to know that they are safe once more."

* * *

"You know, Brynjolf, I was very surprised when you offered to venture into Morthal with me," Pascale looked over to Brynjolf's horse with a raised brow, "I thought you were trying to keep a low profile?"

"Morthal is a place where no one knows me and I'm not the one trying to remain inconspicuous, lad." Brynjolf kept a tight grip on the reins, so tightly that he could feel the blood leaving his hands. "But I assume you already know that seen as you accepted my offer almost immediately. You're the kind of man that wouldn't want to wish any harm on his family, am I right?" he said through gritted teeth.

Pascale smiled with a nod and turned his attention back to the road. "Of course, but my main reason for taking you up on your offer was because I already knew that you had been to visit a blacksmith in the town. It got me thinking, why would you seek a blacksmith to create armour for a pregnant girl? I do hope you answer because I am wrecked with curiosity."

"Perhaps I'll tell you another time, lad." Brynjolf was suspicious of Pascale, he must've been watching him or seeking his own information.

"What's a secret between brothers, Brynjolf? Tell me now and I'll keep you and your wife safe."

"Why do you wish to know so much? I'm sure you won't be around for much longer."

"It's hard to believe but age is catching up to me, old friend," Pascale stared over his shoulder at Brynjolf, a look of knowing crossed his appearance. "I may retire and spend the rest of my days at my home with my family by my side. You might want to do the same."

"I'm nowhere near as old as you are, I've a lot of fight left in me."

"Yes, you do."

* * *

Brynjolf turned his gaze away from Pascale to the side of the road. He stopped his horse and called for Pascale to stop his horse as he inspected the body that lay on the side of the road. He barely recognised the caved in face, but he recognised one of the letters that was in the satchel. This was Brynjolf's courier and all but one of his letters were missing. Pascale loomed over the body as if he was death himself, unlike Brynjolf, this didn't surprise him.

"You knew this boy, didn't you?" When Brynjolf didn't reply, Pascale made a noise of disapproval as he shook his head. "I saw him speak with you on a few occasions over the past couple of weeks. Looks like someone got to him before he could deliver your letters."

"You did this, didn't you?" his voice was toneless, he didn't even need to ask that question, Brynjolf already knew the answer.

"Oh, so you recognise my handiwork?"

Brynjolf smirked bitterly as he stood up straight. "And you called me a brute? You're a conniving bastard. Do you enjoy doing this to your family?"

"You're not family, neither is that thief you've shacked up with. I made some enquiries of my own," Pascale reached into his pocket and pulled out Brynjolf's remaining letters, "I wondered why did you want to learn about an Argonian assassin and then it dawned on me; all the secrecy and the hiding… Someone sent the assassin after your wife and you thought that you could seek solace at my table and put my family in danger."

He scoffed at his brother in law, looking away from the face that caused him so much detest. "The only danger to your family, is you. How you ever though that you would get away with leaving not only a mark on my beautiful sister, Braelie but my nephew as well, that's beyond me." Brynjolf drew his two daggers from their hidden holsters and aimed one point at Pascale's face and the other at his heart.

"So, it's a fight for your sister then? I wonder who you'll choose… You see, I tipped off this Argonian as to Elsie's location. I was actually glad that you decided to come with me, it meant that she would be less likely to survive without you by her side. Make your choice, Brynjolf… Kill me and avenge what I did to Braelie and Carsten or save your wife."

Brynjolf's heart sank as he weighed up his options; if he let Pascale go then he would never get another opportunity to weed him out of his sister's life. If he didn't go, then there was the chance that he'd lose his wife and his child in the process. This decision weighed heavy on Brynjolf's heart.

* * *

The main house was tranquil without Pascale's presence and it allowed Elsie to do what she did best, heal others. The warmth of Elsie's healing hands on her face convinced her that Braelie and her son were going to turn out alright. She looked to her three children as they sat by the dinner table, Vanessa drawing her mini masterpieces and the boys reading their books. She realised that sending Brynjolf with Pascale had been the right choice; the remainder of her days could be as peaceful as this.

"I can't believe Bryn actually put a steak on Carsten's face instead of calling me out," Elsie said with a small smile, "look how quickly he healed up after my magic got to him."

"You really have a gift; how did you learn how to do all this magic?"

"Well, your husband was right, I am a thief and back when I was Vanessa's age, I used the money I stole to pay for lessons. I took what I learned, and I practiced as if nothing else mattered. The magic coursed through my veins as it does with all Bretons." She looked at Braelie from the corner of her eye and spoke lowly, for her ears only. "I know that the magic is there within your kids and if you ever want them to have skills to fall back on, bring them to Riften and I will teach them."

"Is there money in magic?" All of this was new to Braelie, she had heard stories of mages and those in the College, but she was from a small village and never saw such magic until she met Elsie.

"Every Jarl needs a court wizard and if you didn't want them to go into politics then magic is handy for a fight."

"Is that the magic that you use most often?"

"No, I use illusions and tricks. Although, I have been known to cause a little destruction in my time." Elsie smirked a little as she looked towards the children sitting at the table. It almost shocked her when she felt Braelie's hand on her bump.

"You know, I never thought that Brynjolf would find the joy in his life, doing the hobby that the two of you partake in. But I thank the gods that he met you because I see the change in him. He had plenty of suitors but none of them made him feel as alive as you have. I see that fire that he used to have as a lad, running through mother's house with this cheeky grin and this look of excitement in his eyes. You've brought the Brynjolf that I grew up with back into the light." Braelie pressed her lips to Elsie's belly and looked up at her. "And I thank you for gifting our family with another precious soul."

Elsie could see that Braelie was weakened and brought to her knees by her husband, she had lost that fire that she had when the two first met a few months ago although, Elsie could tell that her words and actions were genuine. She just nodded at the woman and took her hands from her face, smiling at the outcome of her magic.

"You're looking much better. Take this day as the first of the rest of your new life. Your free now."

* * *

The two women were interrupted by the front doors swinging open and slamming off the walls, knocking ornaments and books from their shelves. The three children began to panic, thinking that their father had returned angrier than before, but Elsie knew that it wasn't Pascale; she came face to face with the man she had been running from for a while; it was the assassin and there was no way that she was going to continue to run.

She turned to Braelie as she kept the children held behind her back, moving away from the doorway as the assassin poised his dagger. "Take the children to safety, upstairs or downstairs. This man has no quarrel with your family." She looked the Argonian dead in the eye and decided that fate was going to be on her side today. "He's got a bone to pick with me."

"Elsie, no you can't win against the Dark Brotherhood." Braelie warned as she kept her children in her grasp, moving them towards the staircase.

"I can, I have Nocturnal on my side."

* * *

"What's it to be, Brynjolf? Are we going to walk away or are we going to fight to the death and let fate finally catch up to your wife?"

"I know my wife, her fate is not to fall at the hands of the Dark Brotherhood and if fate allows me to, I'll be ending your pathetic existence."

"Such a foolish man, you're going to let your rage cut off your legacy, first with you and then your wife and child. So be it," Pascale unsheathed a greatsword from his horse's saddle and readied his stance, "a dance with death it shall be."

Pascale swung his greatsword heavily and slowly as Brynjolf ducked and rolled out of his way, narrowly missing the sharp side of the blade each time. The way he was swinging, it would be hard for Brynjolf to get close to him and he wasn't sure enough in his aim to throw his only weapons at the moving target. All he could do was allow the older of the two to tire himself out with every strong swing. One advantage that Brynjolf had was quick wit and stamina, if he ran further into the marshes, Pascale would have to catch him. So, he did, sprinting through the mud, checking over his shoulder to see the man running after him.

He had to make the choice, keep running until he tired out or try to dodge one heavy swing. Brynjolf slowed to a halt, beckoning for Pascale to catch up to him. He kept his eye on the glistening greatsword and waited in anticipation for Pascale's swing. Brynjolf ducked low, Pascale almost tripping over himself as he missed and almost in an instant, he felt Brynjolf's dagger pierce through a kink in his armour. It settled in between two ribs for a moment before Brynjolf yanked it out forcefully. Pascale swung again, only for Brynjolf to leap over the sword and slice at his face as he landed firmly on his feet. Brynjolf wasn't letting up and Pascale was becoming exhausted, he knew himself that he was a fool for thinking that he could take on Brynjolf, he had let his pride get in the way. The only thing he could do was beg for mercy.

* * *

He threw himself to his knees, his sword dropping to the floor. "I yield, Brynjolf. Let me live and I swear to you that I'll disappear from Braelie's life. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Brynjolf smirked and took a step closer to the Breton. "Lad have a bit of dignity about yourself; having you disappear isn't good enough for me. You beat my sister and hit my nephew, you killed an innocent courier and tipped off the assassin that's after my wife. Do you really think you deserve to live?"

"I will give you all the money I've left, it's enough to buy yourself a house far away from Riften, you can raise your child there with Elsie."

"Your money won't buy your life." Brynjolf stuck his dagger into Pascale's throat, holding it there for a while so he could watch the blood pour from the wound and the life drain from his eyes. Once he removed the weapon, he watched Pascale's body slump to the floor and let some relief sweep over him. All he had to do was get back to Braelie's house and he prayed that he would get there in time.

* * *

She kept her movements to a minimal while she was under the protection of her invisibility spell, one thing she knew about the Argonian race was that their eye sight was excellent. Elsie was going to have to wait for her perfect moment to attack, but she needed distance between them; he was in front of her, not looking in her direction but he was close. She tip toed back a couple of steps and watched in horror as he turned to her, looking through her with a smirk.

"I've got you now, thief." He glided towards her, his poisoned dagger drawn but she dropped her invisibility to use her telekinesis to knock the dagger from his grasp. "You bitch." He screamed as he lunged at her, knocking her onto her back as he gripped her by the throat.

Elsie could feel the air leaving her as the assassin thrashed her against the floor, his tight hold on her neck becoming sharper with every blow. She placed her hand on him, trying to push him off but he was far too powerful to be knocked off. She looked around the room and used her magic to pull a heavy bowl towards the assassin, hitting him on the head with it. His grip became slack for a moment, but it allowed her to kick him off her and get back onto her feet as she coughed for air. She ran to the stairs, getting up a couple before he grabbed her by the ankle. Elsie kept her arm wrapped around the bannister as he tried his hardest to pull her down. She could see something twinkle in his hand, but it wasn't his dagger, it was still on the floor. She knew what it was when she felt the three prongs jab into her calf; he had lifted a fork from the table. She let out a scream of pain before she used her injured leg to push him away. Once she was at a safe distance, she used every destruction spell she knew to try and end her suffering.

* * *

Every spell she threw at him did relatively nothing; his enchanted armour protected him and his Histskin only regenerated his health. As he climbed the stairs, she hit him over and over with ice spikes and lightning bolts. He was taking the damage, but it didn't stop him from getting closer towards her. She used one hand to feel around her armour while she used the other to keep her attack going. When she reached into one of the pockets, she found a dagger, it looked like one of Brynjolf's. Elsie said a quick prayer to Nocturnal before she released the dagger into the air, watching eagerly as it landed between the eyes of the Argonian assassin. He dropped to the ground and tumbled down the stairs, staring up at her with cold eyes as he hit the ground.

It was gone. The threat and the evil that haunted her was over. She sat on the steps and pressed her hand to her leg, keeping her eyes on the assassin. Elsie almost expected him to jump up once more but this time, luck and Nocturnal were on her side. She lived to fight another day and Sithis got a soul, just not the one he was promised.

* * *

 **A:N It's finally over, Elsie and Brynjolf can sleep easy at night knowing that they don't have to deal with the Dark Brotherhood anymore! Let me know what you guys thought, thank you for supporting this story, it means a lot to me.**


	19. XIX: Good Graces

**The Thief That Stole His Heart**

 **Summary:** Since the Dovahkiin restored the Guild to its full strength, the thieves have enjoyed their luck and filled their coin purses to the brim; but their luck will become even stronger when a foe becomes an ally. But what ties to the Guild does this thief have and why is Brynjolf so drawn to her?

 **XIX: Good Graces**

* * *

He pushed his horse to its limits, galloping back to the farm in record time. Everything was deathly quiet and as he dismounted the horse, he heard nothing. The land was still. He feared that he had made the wrong decision, if the assassin got her then that was it, her and their child would be gone, and his life would've lost its meaning.

When Brynjolf stepped into the house, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, rushing to Elsie's side as she healed a wound on her leg. At least that was the only injury she suffered, but then he remembered about the poison they coat their weapons with and that panic that escaped him once came creeping back.

"You've been poisoned." He said as he dropped to her side.

She smiled slightly at him and shook her head. "No, I haven't, I got the dagger off him." She looked at the tiny holes in her leg as they knitted back together. "He did this with a fork."

He couldn't help but laugh, throwing his head back as he thanked the divines. "I'm glad you're safe, I knew that fate was on our side."

"Nocturnal was on our side," Elsie placed her hand on his cheek and smiled slightly, "she's got this all planned out."

* * *

He nodded as he glanced at the dead Argonian. "Where's Braelie and the kids?"

"In the basement." When Brynjolf moved to get onto his feet, Elsie gripped him on the forearm. "What happened with Pascale? Will your sister be safe?"

"He's not going to be hurting them again." He helped Elsie up and led her down to the basement. He smiled slightly as he watched his sister soothe her kids. "It's over." He said calmly as he kneeled beside Braelie.

She looked at Brynjolf, resting her head on his shoulder before turning to Elsie. "I'm glad to see you're unharmed."

"It's going to take more than an assassin to get rid of me." She placed her hand on the back of her neck and watched her newfound family interact in front of her. She had grown to love this place and she knew that it was going to be hard for her and her husband to readjust to their old lives, especially with a child on the way. There wouldn't be any harm in staying for a little longer than necessary.

* * *

The day came for them to leave the farm and return to Riften. Brynjolf was leaving the kids with a lot of unanswered questions about their father, but he knew that Braelie would explain better than he ever could; he had saw what an absent father did to Elsie, but with the right explanation, his nephews and niece could avoid all that heartache. What he did was for the best, Pascale would've turned his attention towards Horik or Vanessa, or worse; he had the potential to fatally harm Braelie and Brynjolf couldn't let that happen. He placed a kiss on each one of their heads before he mounted the horse, Elsie in front of him, safe again in his arms. Their journey was going to be long and, in her condition, he knew that he would have to stop at every inn along the way.

They had been on the road for days, taking their trip slowly so that Elsie could be as comfortable as possible. He kept a hold of the reins as she leaned back against him, her eyes closed as he rested his chin on her forehead. One hand roamed to her belly and he spoke lowly in her ear.

"How are you feeling, lass?"

"I'm okay." Her tone wasn't convincing enough to appease Brynjolf, when she felt his lips caress her head, she knew he was going to make her elaborate.

"That didn't sound too confident."

"I guess I'm just nervous." She admitted as she tilted her head to look at him.

He furrowed his brow and glanced down at her face. "What have you got to be nervous about, lass?"

"Returning to the Guild after all this time… Facing Vex…" she ran her fingertips along her face, shaking her head at herself. She was thinking too much about all the things that could go wrong with their return, she knew that as soon as she laid eyes on Vex, the anger would control her. Elsie just hoped she could conceal it.

"Trust me, Vex is going to stay well away from us if she knows what's good for her."

"I know you said that you would deal with her when we get back, but I think I should be the one to do that. If Odin can give her a second chance, perhaps I should as well?"

"Whatever you decide to do, I will support you." He tried to ease her nerves with an array of kisses along her shoulders and it seemed to work. They weren't far off Riften stables and for Elsie's own sake, she couldn't be stressed.

He helped her from the horse and untied their bags from the saddle. Elsie stepped closer towards the gates of the city and held onto the tops of her arms as a chill travelled down her spine. She could feel Brynjolf's eyes on her and when she turned to look at him, he was frowning at her, his brows furrowed, and his arms folded across his chest.

"Stop worrying," she commanded as she took a couple of steps towards him, "I will be fine." She took one of the bags from him and slung it over her shoulder.

"I'll carry those, lass."

"I'm pregnant, not crippled." She scolded before following him through the gates. Elsie looked at her familiar surroundings; the busy market place and the residents that eyed the thieves up suspiciously, and wished that she was back at the farm, life could be simpler for them there; but that promise she made to Nocturnal weighed heavily on her now. She couldn't let the daedric prince down, not when she owed her so much.

* * *

As they made their way down the secret entrance, they could hear the Guild talking amongst themselves and once they noticed Brynjolf and Elsie, they went silent. Then they looked at the bump that protruded through Elsie's armour and the family started to gather around them, giving them well wishes and congratulations. From the crowd, Karliah emerged with a grin on her face; she hugged Brynjolf first and then Elsie.

"I'm glad to see that you're alive and that your baby is safe." She whispered in her ear.

"You knew?"

"Nocturnal told me about the future she had planned for you and your child before she relinquished me. I'm happy for you and Brynjolf." She looked over at him, her smile fading slightly. "But I need to speak with the two of you privately. I'm sorry that we can't stop to catch up but the two of you have missed a lot."

"Where's Odin?" Brynjolf asked as he followed Karliah through the cistern.

"Ysolda and him have had their child, he's taking some time off and asked me to replace him until you returned. He wants you to take control while he's away." She led them into Odin's space and closed the door behind them. Karliah leaned against the desk, her hands gripping onto the edge. "As I'm sure you're aware, Vex was the one who contacted the Dark Brotherhood."

"Yes, Odin wrote me a letter." Brynjolf replied as he took a seat.

"What was her punishment?" Elsie wasn't going to beat around the bush, she wanted to know exactly what went down in their absence.

Karliah looked between them and ducked her head for a moment. "Odin urged me to follow his philosophy so the outcome that I created was to demote her back to base level." She looked from Brynjolf to Elsie and nodded towards her. "And knowing about your pregnancy, I've decided to promote you so that you rarely have to leave Riften and when the time comes for you to have the child, you and Brynjolf can raise him or her together."

"I barely know the first thing that she does, well used to do." Elsie admitted as she took the seat beside her husband. "I don't know if I can take on so much responsibility."

"Don't worry lass, I'll guide you through it." He said as he reached for her hand, squeezing it gently.

"I know it'll be hard for you to be in the same place as her, but I've experienced first hand how understanding and forgiving you can be." Karliah nodded at her and repositioned herself on the desk. "I encourage you to continue."

"I'll try my best but as I'm sure you can understand, I am hormonal, and I may snap here and there."

"Take a couple of days off to readjust, both of you."

"I'm fine but I think the lass could do with some time at home before taking on this new role." He looked at Elsie as he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. She refused to look at him and he could tell that her anger was eating at her. "I'll walk her home and then come back to discuss what'll happen while Odin's gone."

"Take your time, I won't be going anywhere." Karliah moved around the desk and took a seat, finding comfort in having the two thieves back; it meant she could go off on her adventure and make a new life for herself. She was going to be free from the commitment and that excited her.

* * *

Brynjolf kept his hand on Elsie's shoulder protectively as they left Odin's office. He could feel the heat she was radiating through her armour, and he hoped that she would simmer down before she did herself or their child any damage. Being back at the cistern was stirring up thoughts and feelings about her situation and he could tell that her mind was churning away.

"How are you feeling lass?"

"I'd feel a lot better if Karliah had of exiled Vex. I don't know if I'll be able to look at her smug little face, day in and day out." She admitted as she placed her hand on the back of her sweaty neck.

"At least you have a few days to think things over and relax." He said as he led her back towards the entrance, but he stopped in his tracks when the door opened and he came face to face with Vex, his own anger bubbling inside of him.

"Brynjolf, Elsie… I'm glad to see that you made it back safely." She dropped her eyes to the floor, noticing Elsie's belly. "I see that congratulations are in order."

Elsie chewed on the inside of her cheek as she thought about her words but before she could say anything, Brynjolf was already whisking her away from Vex's sight.

"I'm just trying to be nice Brynjolf." Vex called out, spinning round to watch the couple leave.

He stopped in his tracks and peered over his shoulder at the person that used to be one of his closest friends and all he felt was disgust. "We'll speak when I get back, Vex." He turned back to his wife, his tone softening as he spoke to her. "Let's get you back home, lass."

Elsie nodded and prepared to climb the ladder up to the street. With one hand on the ladder, she called over to Vex and watched her head pick up expectantly. "Brown armour suits you, but not as much as black will suit me."

She sighed and watched the couple ascend to the street; she knew that when Brynjolf returned, she was going to be chewed up and spat out by him. For old time's sake, she hoped he would be gentle on her but with that baby Elsie's carrying, she knew she was naive to think he'd be soft.

* * *

Vex sat at the bar in the flagon, her head rested on her hand as she waited for Vekel to fetch her some mead. She turned slowly when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked away when Delvin took the space beside her.

"What do you want, old man?"

"Someone's in a mood. Heard that Bryn and Elsie are back, so that explains that attitude." He watched her take a long gulp from the tankard, he could see it in her eyes, the fear of what Brynjolf was going to say to her. She didn't care so much about Elsie's opinion, but to her, Brynjolf mattered. Probably more than anyone else in the Guild.

"I hate this waiting around, he should've yelled and screamed at me when he first saw me. At least it would've been over and done with."

"He won't be too hard on you, we've all been friends for decades. He'll take that into consideration." Delvin was trying to remain optimistic, but even he didn't believe what he was saying.

"I don't think so. You didn't see the way he looked at me. I saw the hatred and I could feel the ice in his stare. Whatever friendship we had, I destroyed it and because of what?"

He placed his hand on hers briefly, trying his best to comfort her. "It's okay to have feelings for him and you're allowed to be jealous. Granted, you probably shouldn't have hired the Dark Brotherhood, but we all have our faults."

"If I hadn't of performed the black sacrament, we could've moved past this mess and the Guild wouldn't have slipped so far off the tracks. Everything that's happened has been my doing and I need to own up to it." She finished off her mead and wiped the remainder from her face with the back of her sleeve. "Thanks for trying and failing to cheer me up. You're the only friend I've got left in this place."

Delvin couldn't help but feel guilty, he wasn't completely honest with Vex but this wasn't the right time to drop the bombshell that he was in on the plan with Odin. If she knew that he told Odin about his suspicions in the first place, she would've pushed him away again and he had taken so long to get a functioning relationship with her. He wanted Vex to depend on him because he thought that she would eventually give into his invitation of a date. He was getting old and he didn't want to spend the last decades of his life alone.

* * *

"Why'd you do it, Vex?" his voice was full of disappointment and he could just about bring his eyes towards her face as he leant against Odin's desk. "Did you think you would get away with it?"

"You are well aware that I have loved you for many, many years. We had a good relationship once and when you broke it off with me so suddenly and moved onto her, I let my jealousy take over." She admitted as she picked at the skin on the edge of her thumbs.

"I always knew you were a jealous little thing but by the nine Vex, murder? Why mark her for death?" he was trying his best not to shout, as angry as he was, he was aware that he would have to lead this Guild for a while, and he had to act like a Guildmaster.

"If I had of just scared her off, you would've left this Guild to chase her throughout Skyrim. The fact that she's a Frey played into it. The hatred for Mercer and my jealousy mixed made a lethal cocktail. Please realise that I am sorry for my lapse in judgement."

He shifted his weight and stared down at the desk underneath him. If he bit his tongue any harder, it would've fell off. Brynjolf was going to be truthful and he wanted his message to get through to Vex.

"The lass is pregnant with my child and you nearly wiped out my future." He glared at Vex and watched her gulp back her nerves. "Do you think I would've ran back to you? What we had, it wasn't love. Not for me anyway. We used each other when we got drunk and that was that. I married Elsie for a reason, you need to remember that and move on."

"It's hard to move on when I still love you, Brynjolf. We may have ended a long time ago but the love I have still burns for you." She watched his face screw up as she lay her heart on the table for him. "I know you don't want to hear that, but it's the truth. And you were soft on me once so I'm begging you, Bryn… Please forgive me for what I've done."

"I'm not the one you should be begging forgiveness from. If you ever try to harm Elsie again, I assure you lass, I will deal with you myself and I won't need the Brotherhood to do my dirty work." He straightened himself up and ran his hands through his auburn hair. "Get out of my sight, Vex."

She got out of her chair and stepped towards the door, glancing back at him as he paced around the room. "I'll apologise to her, I hope she's more understanding than you are."

"Understanding? It's by my good graces that you're still breathing." His temper surfaced properly for the first time in a long time as he bounded towards her. "Get out, Vex. Last warning."

Vex hadn't saw Brynjolf like this since Mercer's betrayal was revealed and that behaviour still petrified her. She slinked out of the room and left the cistern to get some air. She rested her back on the wall of the secret entrance and rested her hands on her thighs, gasping for air. If she was going to win back her friendship with Brynjolf, she would have to be real with Elsie and apologise sincerely. It was never like Vex to be the one to make the first move, but there was a first time for everything.

* * *

 **A:N Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while but I've been working new hours and then I went on holiday but I'm back with a new chapter. I hope you enjoyed and what do you think will happen next? Will Elsie be able to forgive Vex? Thank you for reading!**


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